The Forgotten Game
by Angela Jewell
Summary: Based off L.J. Smith's The Forbidden Game trilogy: Ranma and co are transported into a Game where everyone must face their worse nightmare, as ordained by Gabriel the Shadow King, who seeks Akane as his prize.
1. Chapter 1

1/2/09_: Chapter One, revised  
_

All C&C welcome. Not to mention needed.

-  
THE FORGOTTEN GAME  
By: Angela Jewell  
-

Based on the trilogy, The Forbidden Game by L.J. Smith.

Ranma 1/2 is the property and creation of Rumiko Takahashi, and whoever else owns it. I'm not making any money off of this so don't sue me. Besides, good luck if you tried. I'm broke.

Volume 1:  
Spellbound

I am afraid,  
there is no where to turn,  
I am surrounded  
by your ignorance.  
Surrounded by so many,  
I still can't get away from  
my own loneliness,  
my sorrow.  
I reach out,  
I yell and scream  
yet, from the hundreds  
that are listening  
there is no response.

- Ivanna K

Chapter 1

Akane glanced over her shoulder, checking to see if she was still being followed. Unfortunately they were still right behind her, matching her pace step by step. Whenever she slowed down to look in a store window, they slowed down too, pretending to take an interest in whatever they were supposedly looking at.

There were only two of them, but they looked like they meant business. One was dressed in a black t-shirt and leather vest, a black bandanna tied tightly around his head, covering what little hair he had. The other wore a long flannel shirt, black-and-blue-plaid. It was unbuttoned, and appeared not to have been washed for days.

Akane quickened her pace, silently praying the men would get tired of trailing her, and leave her alone already. It wasn't that she was scared . . . mildly irritated was more like it. The _real _problem was that Akane was running late . . . she didn't have time for some silly confrontation, no matter how badly the two jerks behind her deserved a good beating.

The party was in an hour, and she still had nothing to show for it. And she _refused _to return home empty-handed on Ranma's birthday.

This year, to her extreme annoyance, her family was making a big production out of it. Apparently, they thought it was his last birthday as an unmarried man . . . whatever _that _meant. All Akane knew, was that if _she _didn't provide him with a gift, her father and Mr. Saotome might provide one _for _her. And Akane would do just about anything to stop THAT nightmare from happening. Besides, it _was _the jerk's birthday, and she had to get him something. But so far, nothing she'd found in the many stores she'd visited had _felt _right.

And Ranma sure hadn't made her job any easier. The only help the dummy had provided were strict orders not to 'bake or try to make me something.'

Akane found herself fuming at the memory. If he hadn't been so fussy, she could have knit him some mittens to go with his scarf, and been done with it. Instead, here she was, being stalked by two creeps who didn't know the meaning of the word subtlety, and searching hopelessly for a gift that would spare her from ridicule, embarrassment, or another surprise wedding. In Akane's opinion, things couldn't get much worse.

That's when she heard the sound of thunder rolling in the distance.

Glancing up at the sky, Akane groaned as she noticed rain clouds forming overhead. "Just great," she muttered, glaring at the offending heralds of bad weather. If she caught a cold because of this, she was going to make Ranma pay. . .

First though, she needed to find shelter. Quickening her pace, she began to pay special attention to the stores she passed, looking for any that appeared to be open. Apparently, she wasn't very good at _shopping _either. Every store she passed had their store-curtains down, and their lights turned off. And now that she thought about it, she couldn't even remember the last time she passed a building that was actually open.

Could she have wandered _that _far off the beaten path?

Glancing behind her once more, she paused . . . surprised to find her two-man fan-club suddenly gone.

That was odd, she thought, as her eyes swept the area, trying to figure out where they could have went. She'd passed the same shops as them. Had they somehow managed to find a store that was open?

For a moment Akane hesitated, unsure if she should backtrack or press her luck and keep going forward. After carefully weighing the pros and cons of each (the main con being, she had no idea where she was; the other, she _had _no luck), she realized the choice was an obvious one. Turning around, Akane started heading back the way she had come-when a sound from the other direction caught her attention.

It sounded like a door being slammed shut.

She turned back, her eyes immediately drawn to a lone building further down the street; part of it hidden in shadows.

For some reason, she was _sure _that's where the noise had come from.

With thunder rolling closer, and no other viable options in sight, Akane made a decision. She hurried towards the building, silently praying the rain would hold off until she reached it. Yet as she drew closer, something about the place started to feel _off_ somehow. It wasn't until she was almost there, that she realized why that was. A mural was painted over the length of the building, leaving not a single space left uncolored. But the painting itself was very strange. One moment, she thought she was looking at a snake; the next moment, a man, hunched over. And the more she looked at it, the more it seemed as if the painting were . . . moving and _shifting _somehow. . . as if it were alive.

Akane laughed. She must be more tired than she realized.

"Hello," a voice spoke up. "Can I help you?"

Akane nearly jumped out of her skin at the unexpected intrusion; but rather quickly, embarrassment replaced her surprise. For someone to sneak up on her so easily, she hadn't trained enough!

Smiling, she turned to find a man standing before her . . . and nearly lost her breath.

The first thing she saw were his eyes.

Blue eyes.

Except they weren't just blue. They were a shade Akane couldn't describe, let alone imagine existing. No boy should have eyes like that-they were almost _too _beautiful. And what was more, he had white hair! _True _white-the color of frost or tendrils of mist. He was gorgeous in an exotic, uncanny way. As if he had just stepped out of another world.

Akane knew it was rude to stare . . . but really, she couldn't seem to help herself.

And then he turned away, and it was as if the magic that had held her captive was gone. Heat rose to her cheeks as she realized how rude she had been just then. She couldn't blame him for looking away. "Sorry," she told him, blushing furiously. "You must hear this a lot, but your eyes . . . they're very pretty." The moment the words were out of her mouth, she would have done anything to shove them back in.

I sound like an idiot, she thought, mortified.

But instead, the boy smiled. "Not as often as you'd think, actually. So thanks."

For some reason, Akane blushed again. Now that the initial awkwardness had been mollified, she tried to view him objectively from a distance. He was around her age. Lean, elegant, and extremely handsome. If he had been Kodachi's date against the white Lily, she would have won for sure. Still though, somehow, handsome didn't do him justice. _Ranma _was handsome. So was Ryoga, and Mousse. Even Kuno, in a really, weird, twisted way.

But the boy standing before her was something else entirely.

It wasn't _just _due to the way he looked.

There was an unmistakable air of danger that seemed to surround him; something she couldn't _quite _put her finger on. It was more than just his black clothes, or the snake tattoo on his right wrist. It was part of his aura, and a feeling within her that nearly screamed in warning: "_stay far away_." But Akane, chalking it up to another side-effect of her insanely horrible day, decided to ignore it. Especially when it chose _that _moment to finally start to rain.

The boy lifted his head, looking mildly annoyed at the unexpected rainfall, and then turned to her and asked, "Would you like to come in? Have a look around?"

_T__hat's_ when Akane realized he was standing in a doorway attached to the wall. . .

She stared at the open mural, never having guessed it was masking a door. But Akane didn't have time to admire it for long; the rain was starting to come down hard, and she had no desire to stand out in the cold. "Sure. Thank you," she said, as she followed him inside, secretly exulting in her good fortune. She hoped the guys who had been following her were sitting in an alley somewhere, soaked to the bone.

Still, as her rescuer led her down a long, dark hallway, Akane frowned. She could barely see a thing. "Give me a second, and I'll get the lights," the boy told her, as if reading her thoughts. He opened another door and disappeared inside, and Akane's eyes fought to adjust to this new darkness. Just when she thought she could make out the shape of a table, light exploded all around her, and she suddenly found herself standing in the middle of a large room.

All around her were games. Shelves full . . . more games than she even knew _existed_.

Akane gasped in surprise, overwhelmed. "This . . . is a store?" she asked, her voice awed. It was actually very quaint. It _felt _old, like it had stood there for centuries, quietly existing as modern shops cropped up around it, burying it until it was forgotten. It had the comforting scent of old books, of shaved wood, and . . . peppermint? Akane felt like a child in a candy store, as she wandered from table to table, trying to take everything in.

"It's our grand-opening," the boy told her as he returned a few seconds later, a large sign now in his hands. "I just had the sign finished. Catchy, right?" It read: _Games Galore - not your average gaming store_. Akane stared at him for a moment in disbelief. She wasn't exactly an expert when it came to shopping, but she liked to think she could could tell the difference between an _old _store and a new one. And _new _did not describe this place one bit. She could see _dust _on some of the tables.

"I see. . ." she replied, quietly deciding to let it go. If _he _thought it was new, maybe she could get a discount.

"So, what exactly are you looking for?" he asked her.

Akane shrugged as she moved towards the nearest shelf, her eyes sweeping over the eclectic selection. There were a _few _she recognized. Entire shelves were devoted to chessboards and mah-jongg tables, and she noticed several decorative go-boards that would be of interest to her father. But all the rest seemed foreign and ancient-as though out of place on a small island like Japan. One game was a narrow case covered with hieroglyphics, and another, a red box with a gold star of David in the center. There were dice everywhere, all different shapes and sizes. If she couldn't find the perfect game for Ranma here, she had a feeling she _never_ would.

"I'm trying to find something for my fiancé," she told him, as she picked up a cylinder canister, and shook it. "He doesn't play games very often, but if I can find something that looks fun, I _know _I can get him to play." And lose, she thought giddily, but kept that part to herself. Anything to bring Ranma down a peg or two was worth several thousand yen in her book_. _Extra, if she could crush Shampoo and Ukyo in the process.

But Akane didn't notice the look that crossed the boy's face as she said the word fiancé. "Anything in particular?" he asked.

Akane bit her lip, thinking.

"How about the Egyptian Game of the Dead?" he suggested, nodding towards the case with the hieroglyphics. "Or maybe you'd like to cast the ruins." He picked up a leather cup and shook it suggestively. The sound resembled rattling bones.

Akane shook her head. "No. Nothing like that," she told him, the death-angle ruining her enthusiasm pretty quickly.

"Well . . . there's always the ancient Tibetan game of goats and tigers," he said, gesturing to a carved bronze board with tiny figurines on it. "The fierce tigers stalk the innocent little goats, and the innocent goats try to run from the tigers. It's for two players."

Akane frowned. Something about the way he described that game had felt very wrong. "Do you have any games that a lot of people can play at once?" she asked him, trying to push her worries to the back of her mind.

The boy looked at her sideways, and smiled. "Of course," he told her, and then added, "The more the merrier_, _right?" He winked at her, and grinning, stared at her with those intense blue eyes.

Akane, feeling unsettled, quickly looked away. In an attempt to distract herself, her eyes fell upon another game; this one, with a grinning skull and crossbones against a blood-red cover, its board laid out beside it. It was burgundy, and decorated in a dungeon-type style, with little devils scattered across the gameboard. Suddenly, Akane had a very good idea of what kind of game her host would be suggesting. . .

All at once, this place didn't seem so charming. It felt cloistering and stifling; the wafting peppermint, nauseating. Akane couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Just like the mural.

_Okay,_ she thought, _time to go._ Who cares if she got a little wet walking home in the rain, anyway. Ranma practically _lived _that way! "On second thought, I really need to get going," she apologized, now actively _avoiding _looking at any games. "Thanks anyway," she told him, as she turned towards the door, anxious to be gone.

"Mystery," he said, and something in his voice made her pause. "Danger. Seduction. Fear."

Akane turned back around to face him, watching him carefully.

"Secrets revealed. Desires unveiled." He smiled at her, pronouncing the last word distinctly. "Temptation."

"What are you talking about?" Akane asked him, not liking the look in his eyes one bit. Suddenly, she was reminded of her initial impression of him; the one she had decided to ignore, and had chalked up to an overactive imagination. Now, she was feeling it all over again.

"The game, of course," he replied lightly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "That's what you want isn't it? Something that will catch your fiancé's attention. Something special. . .?"

Akane had to forcefully tear her eyes away. "I _really _should be going," she answered.

"We do have something like that," he told her, ignoring her comment. Without another word, he disappeared through a door in the back room, and Akane watched him go, suddenly torn. Her head was _screaming _at her to get out of there, but her feet remained stubbornly rooted to the spot. As much as she hated to admit it, she _was _curious about what game the boy had in mind. What kind of game could do everything he just described?

Danger. Seduction. Fear. It was sure to catch the attention of everyone at the party. Even Shampoo and Ukyo wouldn't be able to complain about it being stupid and boring. And then, her face grew hot as she remembered what _else _he'd said. _She _didn't have any secret desires, of course. But could all of the others say the same. . .?

Before long, the boy walked out of the storage room, a plain white box held there in his hands. "I think _this _is what you're looking for," he told her, seemingly pleased with himself.

Akane glanced skeptically at what he was holding, then up at his face.

"_Really_?" she asked him, her eyebrow raised. The box was roughly the size and shape of a Monopoly game. It was white and glossy and didn't have a single word or phrase printed on it. There was nothing special about it. It was just a plain white box.

But the boy nodded, and Akane tried looking again, harder this time.

Maybe there was something she was missing. . .

Yet no matter how hard she tried, the result was the same: If _this _was the game he'd been describing, it fell very short of expectations.

"Would you like to hold it?" he asked her, and before Akane could even respond, he had placed the box in her hands-like a doctor handing over a newborn.

Akane stared down at it, slightly confused. Oddly enough, she _had _felt something the moment she touched it. It seemed to hum in her hands; despite it weighing next to nothing. And there wasn't a single fingerprint on the shiny surface, not even a smudge. Akane ran her hand along the sharp corner of its edge, trying to imagine what lay within. And then, before she was ready, the boy suddenly took it back, tilting it between his own hands, gazing at its glossy cover.

An odd sort of possessiveness took hold as Akane stared at it. _This _was what she'd spent the entire day looking for. She knew it without a doubt. "Okay, I'll take it," she announced, her voice almost breathless, her heart racing. But then a thought: "Umm, how much _is _it?"

The boy looked thoughtful for a moment, but then he shook his head, looking apologetic. "Actually, on second thought, I don't think I can sell it to you after all. Sorry. . ."

Akane stared at him, uncomprehending. Then to her abject horror, he started heading back towards the storage area, Ranma's gift still firmly in his hands. "Wait!" she shouted, as she chased after him. "What do you MEAN you can't sell it to me? Why _not_?"

A smile crossed his face briefly at her words-but when he turned around to face her, it was gone. "Because it's special," he told her. "I can't let it go to just anyone, for any reason." As her face fell, he added sympathetically, "Maybe if you explained what it was for. . ."

"I _told _you," she replied petulantly. "It's for my fiancé. Today's his birthday."

"Ah. I see." He tapped his fingers on the box. "And who's all going to be at this little party?"

Akane bit her lip to stop herself from snapping back _none of your business_. Instead she tried to concentrate on the white shiny box. "Oh, just some friends," she hedged, not bothering to elaborate. She couldn't exactly tell him the _truth. S_he didn't have the time or desire to explain her life story to a complete stranger. All she wanted to do was buy the game and get out of there as quickly as possible.

He tilted his head to one side; light flashing off the earring he wore. Whether it was a dagger or a snake she couldn't tell. "So?" he prompted, obviously unimpressed with her explanation.

Akane nearly growled in frustration. "SO," she explained testily, "a game would be a great addition to our party. Everyone loves games, don't they?"

"_Do _they?" he asked, laughing. Akane almost snapped right then and there-he worked in a _game _store, didn't he?

"Look, are you going to sell it to me or not?" she replied, finally fed up.

"Here," he replied, holding the box out to her, his voice surprisingly gentle.

Akane blushed, embarrassed by her excessive anger. After all, it _was _just a game. "Thank you," she replied as she took the box from his outstretched hands. It felt cool and smooth to her touch, and when she held it, it felt like it _belonged _there.

"500 yen," he told her, and Akane marveled at the price. It couldn't have been _that _special if it was worth less than her weekly allowance.

Digging in her purse, she quickly handed him the money. The boy hit a key on an old brass cash register, opening up the small drawer where the money was kept. Inside, Akane saw an odd assortment of strange-looking money, all jumbled together; the like of which she'd never seen.

The boy looked up from the cash register, met her eyes and smiled.

"Enjoy," he said; though his eyes were laughing at her.

Akane didn't have a chance to ponder that look. From somewhere in the store, a clock struck the hour, reminding her that she was in a hurry. Glancing down at her watch, Akane felt a jolt as she stared at it, not believing her eyes. Seven o'clock? There was no _way _she could have been in the store for over an hour!

But she had.

"I have to go," she said as she hurried towards the door, distracted. "Thanks again-see you later."

She hadn't meant anything by it, and she certainly hadn't expected him to _answer_. But he did. He murmured something along the lines of, "sooner than you think," though Akane was certain she must have misheard him. Without bothering to look back, she opened the door and made her way down the darkened hallway, sighing with relief when she finally stepped out of the store and closed the door behind her.

It felt so good to be out of there. Even the rain felt refreshing.

Cradling the white box against her chest, Akane smiled; satisfied with her well-earned prize. She knew she'd be a little late getting home, but in the end, it'd be worth it. All it would take was a little gentle prodding, and Ranma would be putty in her hands. Then, she could literally beat him at his own game, and _truly _wish him a happy birthday.

Stepping away from the wall, Akane turned to take one last look at the unusual mural.

And froze . . . not believing what she saw.

The building was blank. There was no mural, and there was no door.

End of Chapter 1

**AUTHORS NOTES**

Updated: 1/2/09

500 yen is _roughly _$5 dollars.  
Several thousand yen, could be anywhere between $20-30. (At least, from what I understand).

Eventually, I plan to revise ALL these chapters, so I apologize if what follows isn't up to par and is riddled with inconsistencies (I did start this story 9/10 YEARS ago). But I'll get there in due time. I promise. ^_^

And if you haven't read any of L.J. Smith's books, read them! Read them now! I recommend _The Forbidden Game_ Trilogy (obviously), and also _The Secret Circle_, and the _Night World_ Series. _The Vampire Diaries_ is also good, and was recently made into a television series airing on the CW (though it GREATLY differs from the books).

Okay, that's it for now. For those of you who _have _read the books and are curious, I'll explain the Gabriel/Julian name-swap in the A/N next chapter.

See you then!

* * *

"A woman must not depend upon the protection of man,  
but must be taught to protect herself."  
~Susan B. Anthony


	2. Chapter 2

All C&C welcome. Not to mention needed.

----------------------  
THE FORGOTTEN GAME  
By: Angela Jewell  
----------------------

Based on the trilogy, The Forbidden Game by L.J. Smith.

Ranma 1/2 is the property and creation of Rumiko Takahashi, and whoever else owns it. I'm not making any money off of this so don't sue me. Besides, good luck if you tried. I'm broke.

***

Volume 1:  
Spellbound

***

Two people in one,  
one happy one sad.  
Two sides of me,  
one mad and one glad.  
There's only one side  
I try to let show;  
my feelings inside  
the others don't know.  
I'm two people in one-  
As strange as that sounds,  
the real me inside  
No one has found.

-Unknown

***

Chapter 2

***

It was almost Eight-thirty when Akane finally neared her street, and still she couldn't shake the feeling she was being watched.

Not followed like last time.

This was different.

It was as if someone were out there watching her every move and step. Secretly memorizing every little detail of her body as she moved.

Ravenous eyes came to mind.

Hungry eyes that seemed to follow her wherever she went.

Which she knew was ridiculous.

She had glanced over her shoulder several times to make sure no one was watching her and had been confronted with silence and an empty street both times.

Akane shivered, a small reminder that she should have brought a jacket. All the lighted houses she passed looked warm and inviting.

She was out in the chill dark.

Akane sneezed, pulling her thin sweater tighter against her body.

Plus it was still raining.

The invisible eyes continued to watch her, sending shivers of alarm down her spine.

Who knew what was out there?

"Come on Akane," she told herself softly. "There's nothing there in the dark that isn't there in the light."

After she said it, she stopped in surprise. She had never really thought about it before, but... she knew it wasn't true.

There were bad things out there. Bad things that she herself had seen and confronted.

It was just a comfort to say it out loud. Saying something out loud always made it seem more... well... true. Or... it at least helped hold the darkness at bay.

Besides, there were things in the light.

Evil things.

Monsters. Demons. Curses.

They weren't just confined to darkness. They were all around.

Akane shook her head, trying to clear her mind of the direction her thoughts were going. She didn't like to think about these kind of things. It just showed how weird the world was becoming.

Everything use to be so certain. Like Black and White.

She just knew that up was up and down was down. She never questioned it.

But now... she wasn't even certain of that anymore. With all the new discoveries and research being performed, the world seemed to be in a state of constant chaos. Ranma's arrival had shown her that. Sometimes... it just felt like her world was crashing down all around her, dragging her along with it. There never seemed to be anything to pull her back to safety... no life line to grab a hold of to keep herself from drowning in misery or ending it all.

Except Ranma.

He always helped pull her back. He had no idea how much a compliment a smile or even a glance meant to her. It made her feel important, like maybe she did mean something to him after all. The rain continued to fall from the sky, the heavy drops hitting the pavement, creating small puddles of water all around.

Akane glanced down at the box in her hands. Somewhere along the way home she had started to have misgivings about the game. Everyone always told her she was too impulsive... which of course she denied.

Now she had bought this-- this thing without even knowing exactly what was inside!

Akane stopped dead in her tracks, a surprised look on her face. The box in her arms had started thrumming slightly, as if charged with some hidden power.

Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to check the game out and examine it thoroughly before playing it.

Akane shuddered. The box in her hands seemed to glow, as if in response to her thoughts.

A stupid game shouldn't have that kind of an affect on a person.

Akane sighed in relief as she spotted the Tendo Dojo. She quickened her pace, anxious to be home.

Akane entered the house, slipping her shoes onto the mat and her feet into her slippers as she headed towards the kitchen. "I'm home." she announced as she dumped her bag and the box on the small counter.

"Akane?! Thank goodness you're home!" Kasumi said happily, pulling her younger sister into a tight hug. "We were all worried sick about you."

"Sorry, I made you worry, Kasumi." Akane apologized, pulling away slightly from her older sister's embrace. "I got caught up in the rain."

Kasumi released her sister, smiling happily as she wiped her wet hands on the front of her apron. "It's alright Akane, at least you're home now. Why don't you go and change into some dry clothes so you'll be presentable for Ranma's party. Aren't parties wonderful?" she giggled.

"Yeah." Akane replied distracted. "Um... Kasumi? Where is everyone? I mean it's so... um, well... quiet."

"Oh? Really?" Kasumi asked obliviously. "Well, Grandfather Happosai took father and Uncle Saotome on a training trip. He thinks they're going soft and need to re-energize." Kasumi paused, as if in deep thought. "I think that's what he said. Yes. I'm sure that's it. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

Akane laughed nervously. "Um, yeah Kasumi. Fun."

A loud angry voice erupted from behind her, causing her to jump in alarm. "Where have you been?" Nabiki demanded, her voice even and tight. "Do you have any idea how long we've been waiting? Most of the guests have already left!"

Akane turned around to face her angry older sister. Shampoo, Ukyo and Ranma were standing slightly behind her. "Sorry." Akane replied sheepishly. "I guess I lost track of the time."

"You guess?" Nabiki replied, her voice low and dangerous. "Akane do you have any idea how much money I lost tonight because of you?"

Akane's head began to spin.

She couldn't believe what she had just heard.

"WHAT?" Akane asked in disbelief, her eyes wide. "You're blaming ME because YOU lost money?!"

Nabiki shrugged. "Well, it sure as hell isn't my fault."

Akane tried her hardest to control her anger. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't mallet her own sister. Well... actually she could... but she wouldn't. "Did it ever occur to you, that I might not care how much money you would have ripped off our poor unsuspecting guests?" she demanded, her face an expressionless mask.

"The world doesn't revolve around money Nabiki!" Akane shouted, throwing her arms up in the air in exasperation. "GET A LIFE!"

"What? Like yours Akane?" she replied cynically. "No thanks. I'll pass."

Akane glared at Nabiki's retreating form as she walked into the living room, ending the conversation.

"Good riddance." she muttered when Nabiki finally vanished from sight. "And I do have a life!"

"Yeah, sure you do." Ranma laughed. "Since when?"

"Shut up, Ranma." Akane snarled, hitting him with a near by lamp.

Ukyo observed Akane with a curious gaze. "Um, Akane. I don't want to sound mean, but what did happened to you? You look awful."

Shampoo shrugged. "Akane always look that way."

"What did you just say?"

Akane held back her anger, letting out a frustrated growl behind tight lips. She had come to expect this kind of outburst from Shampoo, but that didn't make the sting of the insult any less damaging to her pride.

"Shampoo only speak truth."

Akane's eyes narrowed, anger rushing through her veins. "Why-- why you--! How dare you--!"

Ranma moved forward, stepping between the two martial artists before they could tear each other apart. The last thing he wanted was a fight between his fiancée's on his birthday.

"Seriously Akane, did you run into some kinda trouble?" he asked worriedly.

Akane's expression softened at the look of concern in Ranma's eyes.

"Well actually..." she began shyly.

"I mean, you look like a drowned rat." he laughed.

Akane's expression hardened, changing from happiness to anger in mere seconds. "You idiot!" Akane screamed, malleting Ranma into the floor.

"And here I thought you were actually worried about me for once! I guess I should've known better than to expect sympathy from you!"

"What's that suppose to mean?!" Ranma demanded, dragging himself out of the hole in the ground. "Of course I was worried about you. I asked if you were ok, didn't I?"

"No, you didn't!" Akane replied angrily.

"Oh... well I was gonna!"

Akane sighed in frustration. "Yeah, whatever Ranma. I'm going to go and change into some dry clothes. Enjoy your party." she replied dryly, running upstairs.

"How can I when there's a stupid violent maniac like you attending," he muttered.

"I heard that." Akane yelled, her voice dripping venom as it drifted down from upstairs.

"Good." Ranma yelled back. "You were suppose to."

He knew he didn't have a very good way of showing it, but he had been worried about her. He was even about to go looking for her when she had finally walked in, cold and wet.

Besides, it would have been a good way to escape his numerous fiancées. They had all been unbearably forceful today so he couldn't wait to get away from them.

It was bad enough having three young women fight over you, but quite another when one of them was crazy, one was your best friend and one was an amazon who wouldn't take no for an answer. It was even worst since he knew none of them stood a chance. It was just... he didn't want to hurt them.

Besides, he hated to admit it, but... having three beautiful women fighting over him really boosted his ego. Not to mention helped remind him just how much of a man he really was.

Luckily, Nabiki had been able to get rid of Kodachi and Kuno shortly after the party had begun.

He wasn't sure how she had managed that... and he wasn't sure if he wanted to know.

Mousse and Cologne had left fairly early, the old ghoul forcing Mousse back to the restaurant so that Shampoo and Ranma could have some time alone.

HA! Like he really wanted to spend any time alone with Shampoo.

Maybe if it were Aka-- someone else.

Of course Mousse had refused to leave Shampoo alone with an 'uncultured louse,' and had ended up going home as a duck. Not to mention unconscious.

He understood why Mousse hated him. Really he did. But he couldn't understand why Mousse continued to insist he was trying to steal Shampoo away from him. I mean, how many times does a person have to say, 'I DON'T love her' or 'I'm not TRYING to steal her away. You can HAVE her.' before they take the hint, and leave you alone.

Maybe it's some Amazon thing...

"Hmm... what's this?" Ranma wondered, as he picked up the small white box Akane had dropped on the table.

I wonder if it's a present for me...

Ranma began to shake the box, trying to get an idea of what was inside.

"Now that violent tomboy here, husband open presents now, yes?"

"Uh, yeah. Sure." Ranma replied, as he carried the box into the living room, and set it on the floor before him. He hoped Akane didn't get too angry with him for opening the present before she got back. He couldn't help it. He was really curious about what was inside.

Shampoo, Ukyo, Nabiki, and Kasumi gathered around, all of them curious about what was in the box.

Akane was still upstairs getting changed, so the only other person missing was Ryoga, and God only knew where he could be.

Ranma's wondering ceased, when a frustrated, hoarse yell of, "WHERE ON EARTH AM I NOW?!" echoed throughout the room.

"Well... I guess Ryoga's here." Ranma replied, looking up from the box.

"Gee." Nabiki replied dryly. "Do you think?"

T * * * G

Ryoga glanced around at his surroundings, uncertain about where he was. He knew he should be use to it by now, but he still hated feeling helpless and lost. He had been walking around for what seemed like forever trying to get to the Tendo Dojo and Akane. He had no idea where he was now...

Ryoga stiffened in surprise as he heard footsteps moving around behind him. The steps were calculated and quiet, barely making a sound.

He could tell that whoever it was, was probably a martial artist, and a sloppy one at that.

What kind of a moron initiates an attack and lets their opponent hear them approaching? Ryoga shrugged and braced himself for the attack, his hand closing tightly around the handle of his umbrella.

Who ever it was, was in for a big surprise. Nobody beats Ryoga Hibiki.

Ryoga tightened his grip on his umbrella and quickly turned around, ready to face his attacker.

"TAKE THI-- huh?"

Ryoga halted his umbrella in mid swing, recognizing the figure who stood in front of him. "Ranma?!"

"Wow, Ryoga I'm impressed! You actually made it here on time for once!" Ranma laughed, stepping before his rival.

Ryoga blinked. "Here?" he asked dumbly, placing his umbrella back on his pack. "Uh... where is here?"

Ranma rolled his eyes as he began to walk back to the Tendo Dojo, motioning for Ryoga to follow him. "You're in Nerima, you moron." he replied.

"HEY! DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Ryoga yelled angrily, hitting Ranma on the head with his fist.

"Hey!" Ranma complained, rubbing his head. "Whadya do THAT for? You should be happy I didn't call you P-Chan!"

Ryoga ignored him as they stepped into the Tendo Dojo, glad to be in a warm and dry place. It had started raining fifteen minutes ago and just as quickly as the rain had begun it had stopped. Luckily, he had managed to make it to Nerima without getting transformed.

The last thing he wanted was to be a pig on Ranma's birthday.

That would be the ultimate humiliation.

"Hi, Ryoga!" Kasumi said happily, meeting them at the door. "We're so glad you could make it. Would you like some tea?"

Ryoga blushed, uncomfortable at all the attention he was receiving from the people gathered around the room. "Uh, no thanks Kasumi.

I had some tea a couple days ago at Osaka. Thanks for inviting me to the party by the way."

"Well... how could I not?" she giggled. "You and Ranma are such good friends."

Nabiki, Ukyo, and Shampoo laughed at that statement.

"Yeah." Ranma agreed. "But we're nowhere as close as him and P-Chan are. He just loves that cute little pig. Why, they're practically inseparable." he laughed.

Ryoga glared angrily at Ranma, his battle aura flaring. "Shut up Ranma!" he yelled angrily, throwing a small, square package directly at

Ranma's head.

Unfortunately for Ranma, the package just happened to hit its mark.

"Ouch!" Ranma complained, rubbing his head. "What'd you do THAT for, Ryoga?"

Ryoga smiled. "I got you a gift... even if you don't deserve one." he sneered.

"Gee, thanks pal." Ranma replied happily as he picked the package up off the ground and began to tear it open. His expression quickly changed to anger when he realized what it was.

It was a book.

But not just any book. The title was, _Engagements for dummies_.

"Gee, Ryoga." Ranma replied glancing angrily at the title. "You shouldn't have."

"I know."

"No really..." Ranma replied through clenched teeth. "You shouldn't have."

Ranma set the book on the counter, thoughts of showing it to Akane entering his mind. Maybe the book would give her some tips on how to be a good fiancée. She needed all the help she could get.

"Um, excuse me Kasumi but... do you know where Akane is?" Ryoga asked shyly, glancing around the room.

"Oh. Well... she's upstairs getting changed right now." Kasumi replied.

"Oh." Ryoga sighed, disappointment written all over his face.

He had really been looking forward to seeing Akane again. It seemed like forever since he had last seen her beautiful, smiling face.

Oh Akane... Ryoga sighed.

Suddenly, images of Akari flashed through his mind, reminding him of the girl he had waiting for him in the country.

He didn't know what to do. He was completely in love with Akane... but he had strong feelings for Akari too. Oh, what to do! He never thought he would be in the same situation as Kuno! Well, actually... his situation wasn't quite as bad. One of his true loves wasn't really a boy... and the two women he loved didn't hate him.

Akari had even said she loved him, and Akane... well... he was afraid to tell her how he felt about her. He wasn't sure how she would react when she found out he's really P-Chan. What if she told him she hated him and never wanted to see him again? He didn't think he'd be able to handle that. On the other hand, Akari knew about his curse, and loved and accepted him all the more because of it.

Besides, as much as he hated to admit it, he realized Akane had feelings for Ranma, how ever faint those feelings may appear to be.

He saw how she looked at him when she thought nobody was looking.

The far away, longing look she gave him, made his poor heart of glass shatter into a million pieces.

It wasn't fair!

He wanted Akane to look at HIM that way.

What was it that was so great about Ranma in the first place? In his opinion he was nothing but a rude, insensitive, conceited jerk!

Ryoga sighed in frustration. He was lost in more ways then one.

"Ranma-honey aren't you going to finish opening the box?" Ukyo asked sweetly, curious about what the box held. Since it was from Akane she knew it would be something Ranma hated.

Her gift on the other hand she knew he'd love. But she was going to wait and give it to him later. Preferably when they're alone.

"Oh, yeah." Ranma replied, as he lifted the cover off the box and threw it over his shoulder, not bothering to look where it landed.

"It's a game." Ranma deadpanned, confusion written all over his face. "Why would Akane buy me a game? I hate games!"

"Why? Afraid you'll lose?" Akane replied dryly before hitting him on the head with her hand.

"Hey! Whadya do that for?" Ranma replied indignantly, rubbing the spot on his head where Akane had hit him.

"Because the game's not for you, I got it for the party, so we'd have something to do... but now I'm not so sure I-- Hey--! What are you doing--?"

Ranma ignored her and began to lift out sheets of thick, glossy tagboard, printed in colors so vibrant they glowed. Akane saw doors and windows, a porch, a turret. Shingles.

"Oh! It's a dollhouse!" said Kasumi. "How cute!"

"Actually, it's a paper house." Nabiki declared, looking up from the directions she had been reading. "You know... like you get in those big flat books, and have to cut out."

Akane felt a wave of relaxation flow through her, and embarrassment.

She couldn't believe she had been worried about a game that turned out to be some kids' toy.

"I'll go get the scissors." Nabiki replied, climbing to her feet.

Akane stared at her. "What? You're actually going to make it?"

"Sure, why not? There's nothing else to do." she shrugged. "Unlessyou wanted to give Ranma your special birthday present now? Was that it Akane?" she asked sweetly. "We can all leave if you want..."

"WHAT?" Akane yelled, jumping angrily to her feet. "What makes you think I'd want to give that jerk anything?!"

"Yeah, really." Ranma replied, his face red with embarrassment.

"Why would I want something from that violent, uncute, tomboy in the first place?"

"Look! There's even instructions for the game." Kasumi replied obliviously, holding up the box cover. At a second glance, her smile disappeared. "Oh my. They seem scary."

Shampoo's eyes lit up excitedly. Things had been pretty tame lately in Nerima and she was starving for something dangerous and exciting to do.

"Shampoo want see." she replied, taking the proffered box from Kasumi's hands.

Shampoo briefly glanced over the instructions. She wasn't too good at reading Japanese but she could make out a few of the characters that definitely made the game sound intriguing. "Wow! You no kidding! Game seem scary!" Shampoo announced excitedly. "When we start?!"

"You've got to be kidding!" Akane shouted, throwing her hands up in the air in frustration. "It's-- it's a paper house!"

She looked around for support.

"I think it's cute." Kasumi exclaimed.

Akane sighed in frustration.

She couldn't explain it, but she really didn't want to play the game. There was just something... unnerving about it.

But Akane kept her doubts to herself.

She knew no one there would understand what she was feeling.

Besides, she was outvoted. Even Kasumi wanted to play the game... and it was very hard to say no to Kasumi.

She didn't understand why she was so worried in the first place.

It's just a game she reminded herself.

"Oh, alright." Akane exclaimed defeated. "We'll play the stupid game."

Nabiki smiled sweetly. "You do realize we would have played the game whether you wanted to or not, don't you? I mean... since you didn't get any other means of entertainment, we wouldn't have had anything else to do."

They quickly put the model together as they ate, occasionally getting grease on the tagboard. Nabiki supervised, while everyone else cut out the different parts of the house, putting it together. Soon it was transformed into a three story Victorian house. A removable roof and a turret included. It really did look like a child's dollhouse. Sheet after sheet had to be cut out to make all the chimneys and cornices, balconies and eves... but no one got tired of working, and only

Ranma complained. Even Ukyo and Shampoo lent a helping hand, explaining to Ryoga where everything should be placed.

"Look! There's even miniature furniture to place inside!" Ukyo replied, picking up a small table and placing it on the ground floor. "You see, this is the parlor, and here's a little parlor table. Gothic revival, I think. My mother use to have one."

"Here's some kind of Oriental screen." Kasumi said. "I'll put it by the table for the dolls to look at!"

"Dolls? There aren't any dolls," Akane said.

"Yes there are." Ukyo replied, grinning. "The dolls are us. It says we each get a paper doll for a playing piece, which we have to draw our own face on. Then, we move our pieces through the house and up to the turret at the top. The first one there wins."

"Hey! You said it was scary!" Ranma objected.

"Ran-Chan, you never let me finish." Ukyo chastised. "It's a haunted house. You run into a different nightmare in every room while you're trying to get to the top of the turret. And you have to watch out for the Shadow Man."

"The what?" Akane asked.

Ukyo sighed impatiently. "The Shadow Man. He's kinda like the Sandman, except he brings nightmares. He's lurking around inside and if he catches you-- well, just listen. 'He'll bring to life your darkest fantasies and make you admit your most secret fears.' "

"All right!" said Ranma.

"Oh, my!" exclaimed Kasumi.

"Fantasies is like Ranma marrying Shampoo, yes?"

'Mystery,' Akane thought, ignoring Shampoo. Danger. Seduction. Fear.

Secrets revealed. Desires unveiled.

Temptation.

"What's wrong Akane?" Ranma asked, his face etched with worry. "You look kinda pale."

Akane blushed with embarrassment. "It's nothing, really. I-- I just don't know if I like this game, that's all." she shrugged.

"Well... if it's bothering you that much, we don't have to play it." he shrugged. "I mean it's no big deal..."

"What do you mean it's no big deal?" Nabiki demanded, interrupting

Ranma in the middle of his sentence.

"Yeah!" Shampoo replied, crossing her arms across her chest in defiance. "Just because Akane scared no mean she have to ruin fun for rest of us!"

"Scared?!" Akane yelled, jumping to her feet. "Who says I'm scared?!"

Shampoo smirked. "Akane no need say it. Is written all over face."

"Why you..."

"Cut it out you guys!" Ukyo yelled, pulling them away from each other. "Do you wanna play or not?"

"Shampoo game, if Akane no afraid to."

"I never back down from a challenge." Akane sniffed. "Especially a small one like this."

"Akane? could you go grab the crayons from the drawer, please?"

Kasumi asked sweetly, gesturing toward the small cabinet that stood a few feet from where Akane was sitting. "We're going to have to do a lot of drawing. Not just the paper dolls that are us, but also our worst nightmare."

"Our worst nightmares? Why?"

Nabiki raised an eyebrow. "Gee, Akane. Haven't you been listening?" she asked sweetly. "We've only been over it a hundred times."

Akane glared angrily at her older sister, the tone of her words having been filled with sneering contempt. "Well, actually I haven't been really paying attention. Would you like to explain it to me again, or do I have to pay you?"

"No need." Ukyo spoke up, cutting off the impending argument she was sure was coming. She wasn't going to let those two ruin Ranma's birthday party. "We have to face a different nightmare in every room. So... we each have to draw one on a slip of paper and place them in different rooms through out the house. Then, when you get to a room, you can flip the paper over and find out what that person's nightmare is."

Akane slowly climbed to her feet, opening the drawer in the cabinet where the crayons were kept. "I can't believe I'm actually doing this." she mumbled to herself as she grabbed the crayons and set them before the assembled group.

"Thank you Akane." Kasumi smiled as she grabbed a brown crayon and a paper doll.

Akane lifted a paper doll out of the box and carefully drew her face on it, groaning in frustration at the hideous version of herself that stared back at her.

Did she really look like that?

Sighing with defeat, she placed her doll on the floor and picked up a rectangular piece of paper, and stopped helplessly.

It had just occurred to her. She was suppose to draw a nightmare!

And not just any nightmare, her worst nightmare.

But she couldn't!

The truth was, Akane had a nightmare. Her own, personal, private nightmare, based on something that had happened long ago... except she couldn't remember what it was. She could never remember what it was when she woke up.

Something about her mother... and her grandfather's basement.

Something horrible had happened there one night.

Something so terrifying that she couldn't remember what it was... or maybe... she didn't want to remember.

After a moment the flicker died, and Akane sighed in relief. The only thing worse then not remembering was remembering. Although everyone else had said differently at the time.

But what did they know?

Anyway... she certainly couldn't draw it.

Akane glanced around enviously, watching as all the others around her sketched with excitement. She found her gaze shift towards Ranma who looked up from his drawing at that same instant and caught her eye. He smiled shyly, then turned, and went back to his drawing. But, not before he crossed something out, and began drawing again with renewed vigor.

Akane sighed. Everyone had a nightmare except her. She knew that

Ranma was probably drawing cats, but she had no idea what everyone else's nightmare could be. It had never occurred to her that Kasumi or Nabiki might be afraid of something, and yet they were both drawing their own secret nightmares, their faces more intense then usual. Completely unlike

Shampoo, Ryoga, and Ukyo. They were laughing and giggling about their nightmares.

Shampoo and Ukyo's nightmares were probably of Ranma marrying someone besides themselves.

Although she couldn't see the horror in that... well, not really...

Akane looked down at her paper. All she had drawn so far was a formless doodle around the edges; the middle was still completely blank.

"Come on, Akane." Nabiki said. "Aren't you finished yet?"

After an embarrassed moment with everyone's eyes on her, she turned the paper over and handed it to Nabiki. She would have to explain it to them later.

Nabiki shuffled all the slips of paper and placed them facedown in various rooms on the upper floors. "Now we put our paper dolls in the Parlor downstairs." she explained. "This is where we start. There should be a pile of cards somewhere in the box that tell us what to do and where to move. Could you get them for us Ryoga?"

Ryoga nodded as he dug around in the box for the cards. "Here they are." he replied, handing the thick stack to Nabiki.

Kasumi placed all the little dolls on their plastic anchors and set them in the parlor.

"Here is Shadow Man friends." Shampoo said as she handed two figures to Nabiki. "Is Creeper and Lurker."

The Creeper was a giant snake and the Lurker a bristling wolf.

Their names were printed in blood red calligraphy.

"Charming." Nabiki said, snapping anchors on. "Anywhere in particular I'm suppose to put them?"

"No." Ukyo replied. "The cards will tell us when we meet them."

"And here's the famous Shadow Man." Nabiki announced, holding the paper doll up in front of the group, where everyone could see. "He can shadow me anytime he wants. He's cute!"

Akane grabbed Nabiki's wrist. Staring in shock at the small paper doll. For a moment she couldn't speak. Actually, she couldn't breathe.

It couldn't be-- but it was. There was no question about it. The printed face that stared back at her was unmistakable.

"Akane? What's wrong?" Ranma asked concerned, leaning towards her.

"You look like you've seen a ghost."

Akane shook her head slowly, her dark bangs and shoulder length

hair falling in front of her eyes. "I-- I know this boy." she replied, her voice shaking. "He was the person who sold me this game."

And it was. It was the boy in black, the boy at the Games Galore store. The boy with the shocking blue eyes.

***

End of Chapter 2

***

Authors Notes

____________

Questions? Comments? Flames?

To give credit where credit is due: Thanks go to Rumiko Takahashi, (for creating the Ranmaverse and all the wonderful characters in it), and to L.J. Smith (for being one of my favorite authors and for writing so many of her wonderful books!)

Also, sorry if there were mistakes in this chapter. Hopefully I'll get around to revising it eventually... all the internal dialogue is overkill!! But, I was only in 10th grade when I started this, so I guess I have an excuse! :) Anyway, see you in Chapter 3!

Ja!

* * *

"You don't love a woman because she is beautiful, but she is beautiful because you love her"


	3. Chapter 3

All C&C welcome. (Unless you start insulting me and   
  
say I should never write fanfiction again.) If you were  
  
to write something like that... well... I could get   
  
violent. But, other than that... I should be fine :)  
  
----------------------   
  
THE GAME  
  
By: Angela Jewell  
  
----------------------  
  
Based on the trilogy, The Forbidden Game by L.J. Smith  
  
Ranma 1/2 is the property and creation of Rumiko Takahashi, and   
  
whoever else owns it. I'm not making any money off of this so don't sue me.   
  
Besides, good luck if you tried. I'm broke.  
  
***  
  
Volume 1:  
  
Spellbound  
  
***  
  
CONFUSED  
  
My knees start to shake,  
  
when you're in sight.  
  
My mind's filled with wonder,  
  
my heart with fright.   
  
When will this feeling stop?  
  
When did it start?  
  
How can I listen to my mind,  
  
Without breaking my heart?   
  
I'm so confused.  
  
What should I do?  
  
I can't think of anything,  
  
except of you.   
  
Should I ignore you?  
  
Or just give it time?  
  
I can't think straight,  
  
my heart controls my mind!   
  
-Unknown  
  
***  
  
Chapter 3  
  
***  
  
Akane couldn't breathe.   
  
The small paper doll that stared back at her was the boy from the Game's Galore   
  
store. She was sure of it.  
  
The small picture was almost an exact replica. Every little detail of his face   
  
was drawn perfectly, capturing his features exactly as they had appeared. His   
  
hair was even the exact same color: silvery-white with blue shadows. The artist   
  
had even managed to capture his dark eyelashes, and stunning blue eyes.   
  
The portrait was so lifelike it almost seemed like the eyes might blink at   
  
any minute, or the lips speak.  
  
And it radiated danger and menace.  
  
"What do you mean you know this guy?" Nabiki asked skeptically, her  
  
eyebrows raised. "Did you get hit in the head when you were out?"   
  
"No! Of course not!" Akane yelled defensively. "And I'm not  
  
crazy so don't even bother suggesting it."  
  
"Um... what do you mean he sold you this game?" Ranma   
  
asked, confused.   
  
"What part of, 'he sold me this game' didn't you understand?"   
  
Ranma glared at Akane, turning his back to her. "Jeez." he   
  
muttered. "I just wanted to make sure I heard you correctly. No need to bite   
  
my head off."  
  
"Well, you heard me correctly." Akane said softly. "The boy that   
  
sold me this game looked exactly like this-- this Shadow Man character."   
  
"So?" Nabiki shrugged. "Maybe the boy that sold you the game modeled   
  
for the picture. A friend of his might have invented the game."  
  
"Or maybe he just has some weird fixation with this particular game."   
  
Ukyo shrugged. "He might have just bleached his hair and dressed up to look   
  
like the game character. People do that all the time."   
  
Akane's expression became thoughtful.   
  
Those were both fairly logical reasons. Nabiki's theory would even explain   
  
why the box was blank: Maybe it wasn't even a real, mass-produced game at all.   
  
"Well... maybe." Akane replied, still not completely convinced.   
  
Both of those theories still didn't explain the weird feelings she had  
  
about the game whenever she touched it, or the feelings of dread that   
  
rushed through her veins when she thought about the boy who sold it to   
  
her.  
  
She realized it didn't matter how much she argued, they would play  
  
the game whether she wanted them to or not. That was just the way they   
  
were. Once they had their minds set on something they were immovable.  
  
"Since Akane done whining, we play Game now, yes?" Shampoo asked   
  
hopefully.   
  
Everyone looked expectantly at Akane waiting for her decision. Not that  
  
it mattered. They'd play the game whether she did or not.   
  
Akane smiled. There was no way she was going to give them the   
  
satisfaction.   
  
"I'm game." she replied confidently, shoving all her fears and doubts to   
  
the back of her mind. "When do we start?"  
  
Nabiki stood up and dimmed the lights. "Why not start now?"   
  
"Um... Nabiki?" Kasumi asked quietly. "How are we suppose to play   
  
the game in the dark?"  
  
"Relax sis. This is just to get the right atmosphere for when we take our  
  
oaths."  
  
"Um... what oath?" Ryoga asked wearily.  
  
"The oath of the game." Ukyo said, her voice sinister. "It says here that  
  
we each have to swear that we're playing this game of our own free will, and that  
  
the game is real." Ukyo turned the lid of the box around for them all to see.   
  
On the inside of the cover, above the printed instructions, was a large symbol.  
  
It was like a squared-off U, the two uneven horns of the letter pointing downward.  
  
It was deeply impressed in the cover and colored-- as well as Akane could tell  
  
in the dim light-- rusty red.  
  
Ukyo continued to read the instructions. "It says, 'There is a Shadow   
  
World, like our own but different, existing alongside ours but never touching.   
  
Some people call it the world of dreams, but it is as real as anything else...' and   
  
then it says that entering the Shadow World can be dangerous, so you play at   
  
your own risk." Ukyo grinned, the whites of her eyes shining like smoky pearls.   
  
"Actually, it says that the game can be hazardous to your life. You have to swear   
  
you understand that."  
  
"I'm not sure I like this game anymore." Kasumi said.  
  
"Come on, Kasumi." Nabiki coaxed. "Live life dangerously for once."  
  
"Well... I don't know." Kasumi replied with uncertainty, brushing her   
  
bangs out of her eyes. "Is it getting warm in here?"   
  
"Oh, just swear already!" Ukyo whined. "Let's get this thing over  
  
with so we can get on to the good stuff. I, Ukyo Kuonji, swear I understand   
  
this game might kill me before I get a chance to open my own chain of   
  
restaurants all over Japan."  
  
"Now you." Ukyo replied, nudging Ryoga with her foot. "Swear."  
  
Ryoga nodded his head, a bored expression on his face. "Alright.   
  
I swear." he shrugged.  
  
"Me three." Nabiki announced. "What about you Ranma?"  
  
"No problem." Ranma replied, slamming his fist into the table with a   
  
determined expression on his face. "I swear that I understand the rules, and   
  
vow to kick this Shadow dude's butt!"  
  
"Shampoo swear too!" The beautiful amazon giggled.  
  
Kasumi sighed. "Well... I guess I will too."  
  
Ranma stood up and leaned over Akane. "How about it Akane? I   
  
swore-- do you?"  
  
Normally Akane would have jabbed an elbow upward into his ribs, but  
  
at the moment all she could manage was a colorless smile. They all wanted to  
  
do it... so how could she say no?  
  
"I swear," she said and was embarrassed when her voice cracked.   
  
Ukyo and Shampoo cheered while Nabiki threw the cover into the  
  
air happily.   
  
Akane caught the lid of the box in her hands, a surprised look on her   
  
face. For just an instant the upside-down U looked as if it were printed in  
  
red foil. It almost appeared to be written in blood.   
  
A second later the symbol began to flash or almost glow. Akane couldn't  
  
tell which.   
  
I will not burn this game, I will not burn this game, she repeated over and  
  
over to herself.   
  
I will not burn this game.  
  
Akane felt the strong urge to grab the box and get rid of it anyway. But she   
  
knew that would be ridiculous. They wouldn't understand.   
  
Everyone kneeled around the large table.   
  
"Okay," said Nabiki. "All the dolls are in the parlor, right?"  
  
Kasumi nodded. "Yes. I placed them all in there after we finished   
  
putting the paper house together."  
  
"Good. Then somebody's got to turn a card. Who wants to go first?"  
  
"I will." Akane replied, feeling that if she was going to do this, she might   
  
as well do it thoroughly. Akane tentatively reached out and took the top card. It was   
  
glossy white and seemed to shine, just like the game box. She turned it over in   
  
her hands and began to read: " 'You have all gathered with your friends in this   
  
room to begin the Game.' "  
  
There was a pause.   
  
"Sort of like an anticlimax," Ukyo murmured. "Ok, who's next?"  
  
"Me," said Ranma. He leaned over Akane and took a card. He  
  
read, " 'Each of you has a secret you would rather die than reveal.' "  
  
Akane stirred uneasily.   
  
It was just a coincidence. These were preprinted cards.   
  
"My turn," Kasumi announced, reaching for a card. She read,   
  
" 'You hear the sound of footsteps from one of the rooms above.' " she   
  
frowned. "But there isn't anyone upstairs..."  
  
Ranma laughed. "We're not in this house remember. We're in that   
  
house."  
  
Kasumi blinked, her large brown eyes traveling over the familiar walls  
  
of the Tendo living room. Then she looked at the Victorian paper house,   
  
with the seven paper dolls neatly arranged in the parlor. "Oh!"  
  
She was just putting the card back when they all heard the noise  
  
from above.  
  
Footsteps.  
  
A quick light patter, like a child running on a wooden floor.  
  
Kasumi shrieked and looked in terror at the ceiling.   
  
Shampoo, Ryoga, and Ukyo jumped up, their eyes blazing. Ukyo's hand  
  
was wrapped firmly around the handle of her giant spatula, while Ryoga's  
  
hand closed tightly around the handle of his umbrella. Nabiki stiffened,  
  
looking around in surprise. But Ranma burst out laughing.  
  
"Jeez, you guys, It's probably just some squirrels running around in the   
  
attic or something, right Akane?"  
  
Akane's stomach was knotted. Her voice wavered slightly as she said,  
  
"Yes, but--"  
  
"But nothing. Somebody else take a card." Ranma said.  
  
Nobody did.  
  
"All right, I'll do it myself." he replied. "This one's yours Ryoga."   
  
Flipping over a card, Ranma began to read it. " 'You go to the door to get  
  
some air, but it seems to be stuck.' " Ranma glanced around the group.   
  
"Oh, come on. It's a game."  
  
"Stranger things have been known to happen." Nabiki reminded him.  
  
Ranma sighed in frustration. "Well... this is different. Here, look."  
  
He stood up in a fluid motion and went to the sliding door that looked out  
  
on the Tendo's backyard. Akane saw his fingers moving, flipping the locks on  
  
the handle. A sense of dread overwhelmed her.  
  
"Ranma, don't!" Before she knew what she was doing, she jumped up  
  
and took his arm. If he didn't try the door-- if he didn't try it-- then the card   
  
couldn't come true.  
  
Ranma was jerking at the handle, ignoring her. "There's something wrong  
  
with it. There must be another lock or something."  
  
"It's stuck," Ryoga said, running a hand through his rumpled dark hair.  
  
"Don't be stupid." Ukyo snapped. "Things like that don't just happen!   
  
This-- it's just some game."  
  
Ukyo grabbed another card from the pile, hoping to prove her point.   
  
" 'Someone in this room will do something unexpected.' " she read aloud.   
  
Ukyo smiled and placed the card back on the pile. "You see! It's just a  
  
game."   
  
Shampoo's eyes were glittering. Her hand darted out and she took a card.  
  
" 'None of the doors or windows in the house will open.' " she read.   
  
The words were pronounced in perfect Japanese.  
  
"What the-- " Nabiki and Ukyo stammered in surprise.  
  
"Hey, Shampoo? When did you learn to speak Japanese?" Ryoga  
  
asked.  
  
Ranma was oblivious to everything around him and continued yanking   
  
furiously at the door.   
  
It wouldn't budge.   
  
Akane caught his arm again. She was trembling all over with a sense of  
  
danger.  
  
"Take another card," Nabiki said softly.   
  
"No!" Akane yelled.  
  
"This is ridiculous." Ukyo muttered.   
  
Nabiki was taking the card herself.   
  
"No," Akane yelled again. She had to stop this, but she couldn't let go   
  
of Ranma. "Nabiki, please! Don't read it!"  
  
" 'You hear a clock strike nine,' " Nabiki read softly.  
  
"Akane... there aren't any clocks that strike in this house, right?" Ukyo   
  
asked, looking expectantly at Akane. "Right?"  
  
Akane shook her head, her throat clogged. Every inch of her skin seemed  
  
to be raw, waiting, listening.  
  
Clear and sweet, the chimes rang out. The chimes of the clock at the   
  
game store, the clock she couldn't see. It seemed to be coming from far above.  
  
It began to strike the hour.  
  
One. Two. Three. Four.  
  
"Oh, God," Ukyo whispered.  
  
Five. Six. Seven.  
  
At nine, Akane thought. See you later-- at nine.   
  
Eight...  
  
"Ranma," Akane whispered. The muscles in his arm were hard under  
  
her hand.   
  
Now, too late, he turned towards her.  
  
Nine.  
  
Then the wind came.  
  
T * * * G  
  
Akane woke up on the floor, her head pounding.  
  
It was like the only other time she had ever fainted, when she had been   
  
home sick with the flu. She'd jumped out of bed suddenly to tell Nabiki to turn  
  
down her radio-- and the next thing she knew she was waking up with  
  
her head in the wastebasket. Lying on the carpeted floor of her room, she had  
  
known that time had passed, without being sure how she knew it. This was the   
  
same.  
  
Painfully, Akane lifted her head and blinked to bring the far walls into   
  
focus.   
  
Unfortunately, it didn't work. Something was different. Wrong.  
  
She wasn't sure what had happened, but she wasn't in her house anymore.   
  
The walls around her were paneled with dark wood, and an Oriental screen   
  
stood in front of it. Heavy velvet curtains obscured the windows, and a brass   
  
candlestick was attached to the wall. Akane had never seen any of those things before.  
  
Where am I?  
  
She knew it was the oldest question in the book, but she really didn't   
  
know. She wasn't sure where she was or how she had gotten there, but she  
  
knew that whatever was going on, was all wrong.   
  
Things like this didn't just happen.  
  
Akane released a strangled sob.  
  
It had happened anyway.  
  
For the first time Akane looked at the floor. They were all lying there,  
  
Ryoga, Shampoo, Ukyo, Nabiki, and Kasumi. Ranma was lying against the  
  
wall-- where the door to her backyard should have been. None of them were  
  
awake or conscious.  
  
Akane made her way towards Ranma, intent on waking him up. He'd  
  
know what to do. Ranma always knew what to do.  
  
"Ranma?" Akane asked, shaking him awake. "Come on, Ranma. Wake  
  
up."  
  
Groaning, Ranma opened his eyes. "Jeez, Akane. Can't you let a guy  
  
sleep?" he muttered.  
  
Akane fought back the urge to hit him. The last thing she wanted was   
  
for Ranma to be knocked into unconscious again. Although the thought of   
  
shutting him up was tempting. "Well, sorry for trying to help! I just thought   
  
you might want to wake up and explain what's going on!"  
  
Ranma glanced around the room confused. "What the hell happened?"  
  
"I don't know," Akane said in a small voice. "But we're not in the living   
  
room anymore."   
  
Ranma scowled. "Don't be stupid. We can't be anywhere else. Everything's fine."  
  
Ranma stood up, rubbing the back of his head. Akane glanced around  
  
the room, sighing in relief as everyone began to come too. Shampoo  
  
was rubbing the back of her neck, looking around with quick, alert movements.   
  
She reached down and pulled a groaning Ukyo to her feet.  
  
Kasumi was looking around the room in a daze, sitting next to a   
  
strange table that sat in the center of the room. Ryoga looked lost and   
  
confused, totally unlike Nabiki who looked calm and collected, not a trace   
  
of worry apparent on her face.   
  
Nobody said a word. They all looked around stupidly, trying to make  
  
sense of their surroundings.  
  
They were standing in a Victorian parlor, lushly carpeted, furnished  
  
with Gothic Revival tables and chairs. A green lamp with a silk fringe hung  
  
from the ceiling. It looked like the perfect place to hold a seance.  
  
And Akane recognized it.  
  
It was the paper house. They were inside it...  
  
Akane's hands came slowly up to cover her mouth. Her heart had   
  
begun a deep, sick pounding, and she felt like she couldn't breathe.  
  
This isn't happening. This isn't happening. This isn't happening. A small  
  
part of her brain insisted, the words repeated over and over again in her mind.   
  
"Oh my God," Ukyo whispered. Then with gathering force. "Oh, my  
  
God, oh, my God-"  
  
Shampoo ignored her as she headed towards a nearby wall, her fingers   
  
lightly running over a candlestick. A second later, without hesitation, she reached   
  
up and stuck her fingers in the candle's flame.  
  
"Shampoo!" Ranma rapped out.   
  
"Flame is real," Shampoo said, looking at her fingertips. "It burn."  
  
"Of course it's not real!" Nabiki said, finally trusting herself to speak.   
  
"This is all some kind of illusion-- like virtual reality."  
  
Shampoo's eyes flashed. "Is no virtual reality! Is real! Touch flame!"  
  
"Just calm down you guys." Ranma said, moving away from the wall  
  
he was leaning against. He looked angry, which Akane knew meant he was   
  
feeling uncertain about something.  
  
"Okay," Ranma said, "we're not in the living room. We've been-- moved  
  
somehow. Someone's playing a joke on us. But we don't have to stand around  
  
like idiots and take it."  
  
"What do you suggest we do?" Kasumi asked timidly. "Father will be  
  
so worried when he gets home and we're not there."  
  
Ranma strode over to the parlor doorway which led to a dimly lit   
  
hall. "We can't worry about that now, Kasumi." he replied. "We have to figure   
  
out a way to get out of here first. Me and Ryoga will scout around; you girls   
  
stay here and keep your eyes open."  
  
Akane threw him a scornful look. "Don't think you can get rid of me that  
  
easily Ranma! I'm coming with you."  
  
Ranma sighed in frustration. "Look Akane, I need you guys to stay here   
  
and watch Kasumi and Nabiki, alright? They don't know martial arts as well as  
  
you guys do, so if something were to happen I want to make sure they'd be  
  
safe."  
  
"Gee, Ranma," Nabiki teased. "I didn't know you cared!"  
  
"Shouldn't we all stay together?" Ryoga asked.  
  
"Oh, what's the difference?" Nabiki said. "It's not really happening   
  
anyway. We're not here."   
  
"Then what is it?" Kasumi asked. "Where are we?"  
  
"In the game."  
  
The voice came from the corner of the room, from the shadow behind  
  
the Oriental screen. It was a voice that didn't belong to any of the group, but  
  
one that was familiar to Akane. She'd only heard it once before, but she   
  
couldn't mistake it. Like water running over rocks, it was full of elemental  
  
music.   
  
Every head turned.   
  
The boy stepped out of the shadows.  
  
He was just as beautiful as he had been in the store. But here, against  
  
the backdrop of this quaint and fussy room, he looked even more exotic.  
  
His hair shone in the dimness like mountain snow. He was wearing a black  
  
vest that showed the smooth, hard muscles of his bare arms, and pants that  
  
looked like snakeskin. His eyes were heavy-lidded, shielded by long lashes.   
  
And he was smiling.  
  
Kasumi gasped. "The picture. The paper doll in the box. It's him--"  
  
"The Shadow Man," Ukyo said hoarsely.  
  
"Don't make me laugh," Ranma said. Lip curled, he looked the   
  
apparition up and down. "Who the hell are you? What do you want?"  
  
The boy in black took another step forward. Akane could see the   
  
impossible daylight color of his eyes now, although he wasn't looking at her.   
  
His gaze swept over the others, and Akane could see it affect them, like  
  
a wave of cold air that caused them to draw together. She could see each of   
  
them reacting as they looked into his face and saw-- something there.   
  
Something that caused their eyes to go wide and suspicion to turn to fear.  
  
"Why don't you call me Gabriel?"  
  
"Is that your name?" Ryoga asked.  
  
"It's as good as anything else."   
  
"We no afraid of you!" Shampoo said suddenly, stepping forward.  
  
"Um... Shampoo." Kasumi laughed nervously. "Please speak for yourself.  
  
I'm terrified."  
  
"We want to know what's going on!" Ranma demanded angrily.  
  
"By letting us go now, you might be able to avoid a law suit." Nabiki   
  
added.  
  
"Yeah! We didn't do anything to you! Why don't you just let us  
  
go!" Ryoga yelled.   
  
Gabriel smirked. "Now, why would I do a stupid thing like that after I   
  
went through all the trouble of bringing you here?"  
  
Only Akane stayed back, not moving, not speaking. Her sense of dread  
  
was getting stronger all the time. She was remembering a look like a   
  
starving tiger's.  
  
"At least tell us what we're doing here." Ukyo said.  
  
"Playing the game."  
  
They all stared at him.  
  
"You agreed to play. You read the rules."  
  
"What? Playing? You mean--"  
  
"Don't listen to him, Ryoga." Ranma interrupted. "We're not going to  
  
play his stupid game."  
  
"I mean," the boy in black said to Ryoga, "that you all swore you   
  
were playing of your own free will and that you knew the Game was real.   
  
You invoked the rune Uruz." He sketched a shape in the air with his finger,  
  
an inverted U. Akane noticed that the snake tattoo she'd seen on his   
  
wrist in the store earlier had vanished. "You pierced the veil between the   
  
worlds."  
  
Ukyo laughed, a sharp false sound like glass shattering.  
  
Nabiki breathed, "This is nuts."  
  
Shampoo's expression said she agreed.  
  
"Um... excuse me but... what's a rune?" Kasumi asked confused.  
  
Gabriel's lip quirked and he lowered his voice. "It's magic," he  
  
said. "A mystical letter from an ancient alphabet. In this case designed   
  
to let you walk between worlds. If you don't understand it, then you   
  
shouldn't be messing with it."  
  
"We didn't mean to mess with anything." Kasumi whispered. "It's all  
  
a mistake."  
  
The fear in the room had heightened. Akane could feel the tension,  
  
and unease that surrounded them.  
  
"No mistake. You chose to play the Game," the boy said again. "Now  
  
you play until you win-- or I do."  
  
"But why?" Kasumi asked, her voice low. "What do you want from  
  
us? We don't have anything you could want."  
  
"Oh, but you do." Gabriel smiled, then looked past her. Past all of them,   
  
to the one person who hadn't said a word since he'd entered the room. To   
  
Akane.  
  
"Every game has a prize," he said.  
  
Akane met the impossibly blue eyes and knew she'd been right.  
  
They stood for a moment, looking at each other.  
  
Gabriel's smile deepened. Ranma looked back and forth between them.  
  
Understanding slowly dawned on his face.  
  
"No..." he whispered.  
  
"Every game has a prize," the boy repeated. "Winner take all."  
  
  
  
***  
  
End of Chapter 3  
  
***  
  
Authors Notes  
  
_____________  
  
Questions? Comments? Flames?   
  
Um... don't bother with the Flames though, I'll just ignore them. I'm  
  
not very good with insults.  
  
Now to give credit where credit is due: Thanks go to Rumiko   
  
Takahashi, (for creating the Ranmaverse and all the wonderful characters in  
  
it) and to L.J. Smith (for being one of my favorite authors and for writing so  
  
many wonderful books!)  
  
Um... Chapter 4 coming eventually. I'm going to try writing another   
  
chapter for my other stories too. Can't forget about them. Even though  
  
this one's a lot more fun to write:)  
  
Ja!  
  
____________  
  
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _   
  
  
  
"Believe in miracles   
  
but don't depend on them"  
  
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _   
  
T * * * G  
  
My email/ ICQ:  
  
jewellangela@hotmail.com  
  
26382915  
  
Homepage:  
  
http://www.angelfire.com/ak2/ranma/Game.html  
  
http://www.angelfire.com/ak2/ranma/index.html  
  
T * * * G 


	4. Chapter 4

All C&C welcome. (Unless you start insulting me and   
  
say I should never write fanfiction again.) If you were  
  
to write something like that... well... I could get   
  
violent. But, other than that... I should be fine :)  
  
----------------------   
  
THE GAME  
  
By: Angela Jewell  
  
----------------------  
  
Based on the trilogy, The Forbidden Game by L.J. Smith  
  
Ranma 1/2 is the property and creation of Rumiko Takahashi, and   
  
whoever else owns it. I'm not making any money off of this so don't sue me.   
  
Besides, good luck if you tried. I'm broke.  
  
***  
  
Volume 1:  
  
Spellbound  
  
***  
  
Across the mists of time,   
  
through the doors of age,  
  
Through the song of rhyme,   
  
flipping past the page,  
  
Over mounds of laughter,   
  
through the sea of hate,  
  
Connecting all there after,   
  
placing all our fate.  
  
Dancing through the snow storm,   
  
skipping through the rain,  
  
Past the pages torn,   
  
past the page of pain,  
  
Doing all we can,   
  
living all we lost,  
  
Walking through the land,   
  
connecting all the cost.  
  
-Angela Horton  
  
***  
  
Chapter 4  
  
***  
  
The room for once was silent.  
  
Everyone stood frozen in place. The anger on their faces warring  
  
with the uncertainty that everyone was feeling. They didn't know what  
  
to think, or what to say.   
  
What do you say to a guy who sucks you into some Game and says  
  
you have to play it for real? The fact that Akane was the prize, only made  
  
matters worse.  
  
"What do you mean, 'winner take all?' " Ryoga demanded, his  
  
hands clenched into tight fists at his side. "If you think I'm going to   
  
allow you to take Akane, you've got another thing coming!"  
  
"Yeah!" Ukyo shouted, moving to stand beside Ryoga.  
  
They may both be rivals for Ranma's heart, even if   
  
Akane didn't realize it, but she still considered Akane a friend.   
  
She couldn't stand the thought of her being forced into something   
  
by this Shadow Man character. Of course... if it were Shampoo...   
  
  
  
"We're not going to play your stupid Game!" Ukyo shouted,   
  
determination clear on her face.  
  
"Yeah." Ranma quickly agreed. "And even if we DID agree to play,   
  
you wouldn't stand a chance." he jeered.  
  
Gabriel smiled. "All of you have already agreed to play." he   
  
replied, meeting the gaze of each individual in the room. His eyes lingered   
  
on Akane a little too long for Ranma's comfort. "You don't have a choice."   
  
Ranma shrugged casually as Akane glared. "Like I said before," he   
  
bragged. "You still don't stand a chance. We," he replied, gesturing   
  
towards the small group scattered around him. "never lose."  
  
Gabriel laughed, a hard bitter sound like glass breaking.   
  
"My, my aren't we cocky." he replied, turning his gaze directly on Ranma.   
  
"Don't think you can win so easily." he threatened. "You're in my world   
  
now."   
  
Ranma scowled back, unfazed. "Yeah. Whatever."   
  
Shampoo fought back a smile, her head filled with countless   
  
possibilities. This was her chance! After all this time she could   
  
finally get rid of Akane! With Akane out of the picture, Ranma would be   
  
finally be hers! "Is Akane all Shadow Man really want?"   
  
Gabriel turned his gaze once more on Akane, his eyes penetrating  
  
into hers. "She's the prize I've waited eleven years for." he replied.   
  
"I'll have her no matter what the cost."  
  
  
  
Shampoo breathed a sigh of relief, and moved to stand behind Akane.  
  
"Well... if Gabriel want Akane, Shampoo give Akane gladly to Gabriel!"   
  
"WHAT?!" Ranma and Akane yelled out simultaneously, their  
  
voices raised in anger. "Are you crazy?"  
  
Shampoo ignored them as she quickly pushed Akane towards the  
  
Shadow Man, a satisfied smirk on her face.   
  
Akane's eyes widened and she gasped in surprise as she found   
  
herself stumbling towards Gabriel. She tried to make herself stop... but   
  
she _couldn't_ stop. It was almost as if some invisible force was   
  
pulling her towards him...  
  
Ranma caught Akane's wrist in his hand and brought her to an   
  
abrupt halt, stopping her before she could reach Gabriel. He silently  
  
berated himself; he should have known Shampoo would try something like   
  
that.  
  
"Now, Shampoo. That wasn't a very nice thing to do." Kasumi gently   
  
chided.  
  
"Yeah, really Shampoo." Nabiki chastised.   
  
"What the hell were you thinking?!" Ranma yelled angrily, releasing  
  
Akane's wrist.  
  
He never could understand why Shampoo and Ukyo always felt   
  
so threatened by Akane, or why they always went to such great lengths to   
  
try and get rid of her. I mean, it's not like he _liked_ her or nothin.   
  
She was uncute most of the time, and always hitting him with that  
  
damn mallet of hers. Not to mention the constant threats on his life  
  
whenever she tried to force some of her so called cooking down  
  
his throat. What difference did it make if she was actually cute once   
  
and a while... or nice when she wanted to be... or helped him when he   
  
needed it the most...  
  
Well... maybe he _did_ like her a little... he smiled.   
  
Come to think of it she *had* gotten a little better at cooking  
  
too... by the time they actually got married-- not that he wanted to marry  
  
that uncute tomboy-- she might actually be able to cook something that   
  
wouldn't make him fear for his life or send him to the hospital.   
  
Well... he could hope anyway...  
  
"Shampoo, have you gone crazy?" Akane yelled angrily, snapping  
  
Ranma out of his train of thought. "Just WHAT were you thinking?"  
  
Shampoo smiled innocently, pretending to be oblivious to the hard   
  
looks she was receiving from the people gathered around her.   
  
They didn't understand. They _couldn't_. She *had* to marry Ranma.   
  
She couldn't break 3000 years of Amazon tradition! Her honor. Her   
  
beliefs. Her entire life, were at stake! But more than that... she   
  
_wanted_ to marry Ranma. She loved him, it was as simple as that. She   
  
would do anything she had to do, to get what she wanted, and what she   
  
wanted was Ranma. If that meant sacrificing Akane, then so be it.   
  
Besides, she had been doing Akane a *favor* by trying to give her to   
  
Gabriel. She was actually saving her life in the long run. She knew that if  
  
it came down to it, her Amazon law would force her to kill Akane. One of  
  
the most important things she had learned growing up was that obstacles   
  
were made for one thing. Killing.  
  
Smiling innocently, Shampoo turned and faced Akane. "Shampoo only  
  
try to help." she shrugged.  
  
"How could giving me to some psychopath help me?"   
  
Gabriel's smile hardened. "Careful, Akane." he warned.  
  
Akane quickly shut her mouth. She wasn't sure what Gabriel was  
  
capable of, but if he had the power to suck them all into some  
  
game, she was sure he could do much worst. He was definitely someone you   
  
didn't want to make angry.  
  
Nabiki turned towards Gabriel, her expression firm and determined.   
  
She couldn't believe her luck! To think; she actually thought Ranma's party   
  
had been a total failure! It looked like she might make a little profit out   
  
of it yet. "I might have a little proposition for you." she grinned.  
  
Gabriel turned to Nabiki. "I don't make deals." he deadpanned.  
  
Nabiki's expression hardened. "Oh? But I believe this one   
  
will interest you."   
  
Gabriel met Nabiki's gaze and held it, impressed when she didn't   
  
back away. He knew stubbornness ran in the Tendo family. Well, in the  
  
Tendo women anyway. "OK. What kind of deal?"  
  
Nabiki smiled. "I'd be willing to give you Akane." she deadpanned.  
  
"For a slight fee of course."   
  
"Oh, my."  
  
"NABIKI?!" Akane shouted, her voice mixed with anger and disbelief.   
  
"Just WHAT do you think you're doing?!"  
  
Nabiki tore her gaze away from Gabriel's and met Akane's angry  
  
glare head on. "Well, gee Akane. I have to make up for the money I lost   
  
tonight _somehow_!" she replied with a smirk.  
  
Ryoga's eyes widened. He couldn't believe what he had just heard!  
  
Nabiki was willing to sell her own sister?! Was she crazy?  
  
"Nabiki! You can't be serious about selling that man Akane!"   
  
Kasumi replied, a disapproving frown on her face.  
  
Nabiki laughed nervously. "Well, even if I did, Ranma would rescue   
  
her eventually, and I'd already be paid and..."  
  
Kasumi's frown deepened.  
  
"Of course not sis."   
  
Ranma stared at Nabiki with disgust. Trying to sell her own sister,  
  
was low, even for her.   
  
'Well, guess it's all up ta me.' he told himself with false cheer,   
  
turning to face Gabriel. Even though he would never admit it to anyone, he   
  
didn't really mind having to bail Akane out of trouble. Besides, it was his   
  
duty-- she _was_ his fiancée after all.   
  
Ranma smiled, an idea beginning to form. Maybe he could make it so   
  
Gabriel wouldn't _want_ Akane. That shouldn't be too hard. "Why would   
  
you want Akane anyway?" he asked. "She's ugly, violent, crazy, _and_ a   
  
sexless tomboy!"  
  
"Yeah." Ukyo agreed. "And she can't swim, cook, or do  
  
anything else that's feminine."  
  
"Plus she's ALWAYS hitting me with that damn mallet of hers. She  
  
never listens and jumps to conclusions."  
  
"Don't forget jealous and possessive." Nabiki added.  
  
"And what about moody, and unpredictable?" Kasumi asked sweetly.  
  
Akane silently fumed. "You guys aren't helping."   
  
Gabriel watched with amusement. "My, my." he said with a smile.  
  
"I never realized what great friends and family you have, Akane. They must   
  
love you a lot to put into words all your many faults."  
  
"Oh, we all love Akane very much." Kasumi assured him.  
  
Gabriel smiled coldly. "Yeah. Your love for her shines   
  
through."   
  
"Just what does _that_ mean?" Nabiki demanded.  
  
"Nothing." Gabriel shrugged. "But, I have a little proposition for   
  
all of you." he replied, glancing around the room. "If Akane stays here,  
  
with me, you can all go free."  
  
Ranma glared angrily at Gabriel. "No way you jerk!"   
  
Nabiki opened her mouth as if to protest but quickly shut it,  
  
silenced by the looks she was receiving from Akane and Kasumi.  
  
  
  
"Don't even think about it, Nabiki." Akane hissed.  
  
"Gee, Akane." she muttered. "It was just a joke."   
  
Gabriel turned towards Ranma. "And what do you care for Akane   
  
anyway?" he asked, his eyebrows raised. "You're always insulting her,   
  
you act like you can't stand her, and you've even come close to getting her   
  
killed!"  
  
Ranma look devastated. "But... how did you..."  
  
"I've been watching her for eleven years. I know everything there  
  
is to know about her." he shrugged. "and of course, everything there is to   
  
know about you."  
  
Akane's head snapped up in surprise. "What do you mean you've been   
  
watching me for eleven years?" she demanded angrily, pushing all her fears   
  
to the back of her mind. "What are you? Some kind of pervert?"  
  
"No more of a pervert than your loving fiancée, or your little  
  
friend over there." he replied, motioning towards Ranma and Ryoga.  
  
"Hey! What does that mean?!" Ryoga shouted.  
  
Gabriel ignored him. "It really does hurt her, you know." he went   
  
on, pausing to glance at Akane. "But then, what would you care? You're   
  
just stringing her along with the rest of your fiancées."  
  
"That's not true!" Ranma blurted out before he could stop   
  
himself. "I mean, um, I'm not just stringing her along." Ranma looked  
  
sheepishly over at Akane who was staring at him curiously. "And I never   
  
meant to hurt her."   
  
Gabriel sniffed. "All you've done to her since you met was hurt   
  
her."  
  
"That's not true!" Akane insisted, tearing her gaze away from  
  
Ranma's. "It's true that he can be an insensitive jerk sometimes, and  
  
that he blurts things out without thinking and that he can be arrogant,   
  
and selfish... not to mention lazy, rude, and short tempered..."   
  
"Don't forget opinionated, and cheap." Nabiki added.  
  
"And what about moody, and gluttonous?" Kasumi asked sweetly.  
  
Ukyo shook her head in disbelief. "If that's your way of defending  
  
him Akane, I'd use a different strategy."   
  
  
  
Akane blushed.  
  
"Well... my point is, he's done a lot to help me too. He always  
  
rescues me when I'm in trouble, he can be sweet and thoughtful when he  
  
wants to be. And he's almost always there when I need him..."  
  
Ranma met Akane's eyes. "Akane..."  
  
Shampoo noticed the look passing between them and began to panic.  
  
Why doesn't that stupid Shadow Man just take Akane? Didn't he see what  
  
was happening? "We start game now, yes?"  
  
Gabriel lifted an eyebrow, surprised. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't   
  
realize you were in such a hurry." he smiled.  
  
Ranma glared at Shampoo, then shifted his attention to Gabriel.  
  
"Look, buddy. I'm not letting you take Akane, alright." he stated   
  
angrily. "So, you might as well just let us go, or fight me now."  
  
Gabriel's expression became thoughtful as he pondered   
  
Ranma's choices. "Well, since I'm not going to let you go, I guess  
  
we'll have to fight."   
  
Ranma didn't waste a minute. As soon as the words left Gabriel's  
  
mouth he launched himself across the room to where Gabriel stood... and  
  
stopped.  
  
Ranma's eyes grew wild, and his breathing began to quicken.   
  
"C- CATS!" Ranma kicked out, trying to ward off the imaginary cats   
  
that attacked him. "GET THEM OFF'A ME!"  
  
"R- Ranma honey. There's nothing there..."   
  
Gabriel laughed. "Of course there is. In the Game you have to face  
  
your nightmare. This is just a free sample of Ranma's."   
  
Akane glared angrily at Gabriel. "What do you mean? There's   
  
no cats around here!" Akane glanced at Shampoo who was still human  
  
to confirm her suspicions.  
  
"This isn't your nightmare." Gabriel explained with a smile.  
  
"There's no reason for any of you to be involved. Yet." he added.  
  
Ranma continued to scream, trying to tear cats that only he could  
  
see, off of him. Akane looked on helplessly, unsure of what to do. She  
  
couldn't stand seeing him this way.  
  
"STOP IT!" Ukyo yelled, watching Ranma. "JUST STOP THIS! RAN-CHAN  
  
DOESN'T DESERVE THIS!"  
  
"One person can end it now." he replied, looking at Akane.  
  
Akane began to speak, but was interrupted my Ranma's voice.   
  
His breathing shallow and strained.  
  
  
  
"No-- no way you bastard!"   
  
Gabriel smirked. "Suit yourself." he shrugged. "It'll be a lot  
  
more fun this way anyway."  
  
Akane looked at the floor where Ranma had once stood, only to  
  
be confronted with empty air. He was gone! He had just disappeared!  
  
Akane glanced around in shock, realizing that Ranma wasn't the  
  
only one gone. Everyone else had disappeared too. Except Gabriel.  
  
"What have you done to them?! Where are they?" she demanded.  
  
Gabriel smiled whimsically. "They're scattered throughout the house   
  
waiting to face their nightmares. Waiting for you. You'll find them as you  
  
go through the Game."  
  
"As I go?" Akane asked angrily. "Look, I don't know what--"  
  
"You're the main player here, you know." he interrupted, gently  
  
chiding. "The door back to your world is at the top of the house, and  
  
open. Get there and you can go. Bring your... friends... and they  
  
can leave too."  
  
"Where's Ranma?" Akane demanded. She couldn't get the image of   
  
him fighting imaginary cats out of her mind.  
  
"Your _fiancée_ is at the top." He pronounced the word fiancée  
  
as if it were a bad taste he had to get out of his mouth. "I'll be   
  
giving him my _special_ attention. You can see him when you get to the   
  
top. _If_ you get to the top."  
  
"Look. I don't want to play your stupid game." Akane replied  
  
angrily, staring down at the floor to avoid his eyes. "There must be some   
  
kind of mistake. I don't know what you're thinking, but--"  
  
He interrupted again. "And if you don't get there, then I win.   
  
And you stay here, with me."  
  
"What do you mean with you?" Akane asked sharply.  
  
He smiled. "I mean that you stay in this place, my world. With   
  
me-- as mine."  
  
Akane stared at him-- and then was on her feet, her composure   
  
shattering. Akane launched a spin kick in the air, hoping to hit Gabriel   
  
beneath the chin, but was caught of balance when he caught her leg in   
  
midair, stopping it before it could connect.   
  
"Careful Akane."  
  
She stopped, frightened by what she sensed in him. Looking into  
  
his eyes she saw something so terrifying, so alien, that she unconsciously  
  
took a step back. It was then-- at that moment, that she *believed* what was  
  
happening. Full realization of what this boy had done, of everything that  
  
had happened to her today, came crashing down on her.   
  
"Oh, no." she whispered. "Who are you?"  
  
Akane stared at the boy standing before her, his hair shining in  
  
the moonlight. All her violence had drained away, replaced by a fear older   
  
and deeper than anything she'd ever experienced.   
  
"Don't you know yet?"  
  
Akane shook her head.  
  
"Don't worry. You will before the Game's over."  
  
Akane tried to regain her calm. "You were at the Game store..."  
  
"I was waiting for you."  
  
"So this was all-- set up? But why _me_? Why are you doing this  
  
to me?" Akane could feel hysteria tugging at her. She wasn't sure how  
  
to handle this situation without using violence. She definitely couldn't   
  
beat him in a fight.   
  
Then he said it, looking at her with eyes like the sky   
  
at twilight, one corner of his mouth turned up. He spoke gravely and a  
  
little formally.  
  
  
  
"Because," he said, "I've fallen in love with you."   
  
Akane stared at him.  
  
"Surprised? You shouldn't be. I first saw you when you were  
  
just five years old. You were such a pretty little girl. Do you know  
  
the story of Hades?"  
  
"Hades? He was the Greek god of the Underworld." Akane replied   
  
softly. "But what does that have to do with anything."  
  
"Hades lived in the world of shadows and was very lonely because  
  
of it. One day he looked up at the earth's surface and saw Persephone,   
  
laughing and picking wild flowers. He fell in love with her the first  
  
minute he saw her. He wanted to make her his queen, but he knew she   
  
wouldn't go willingly. So..."  
  
"So?" Akane got out.  
  
"So," Gabriel shrugged carelessly. "He split the earth open in   
  
front of Persephone's feet, and took her back to the underworld with him.  
  
You're luckier than Persephone, Akane. I could just take you, but I'm   
  
giving you a chance."   
  
"That's just a story," Akane said, trying to keep her voice   
  
steady. "It's just a myth. Hades wasn't a real person, none of the  
  
Greek gods were."  
  
"Are you sure?" He looked at Akane with eyes like liquid sapphires,  
  
wild eyes that she couldn't seem to look away from.  
  
"Who are you?" she whispered again.  
  
"Who do you want me to be? I love you, Akane. I came from the  
  
Shadow World to get you. I'll do anything you want me to do, give you  
  
anything your heart desires. Do you like jewels? Emeralds? Diamonds?"  
  
He reached outspread fingers toward her throat, not quite touching.  
  
"Ask me for something, something you thought you could never have. Quick;   
  
I might not make the offer again."  
  
Akane stared into Gabriel's impossibly blue eyes and stated in  
  
a calm voice, "What I want more than anything is to get my fia-- friends,   
  
and my sisters and go home. If you really loved me, like you   
  
say you do, then you'd let us all go."  
  
Gabriel shook his head. "No. I've waited to long for this. Just  
  
say yes now, while I'm feeling generous. Later, things could get unpleasant.   
  
I don't want to hurt you Akane, but I will if it's necessary. Save   
  
yourself a lot of pain and bother and give into me now. It's going to   
  
happen eventually, anyway."  
  
"Oh, really?" Akane replied, her anger returning. "What makes  
  
you think that?"  
  
"Simple. I never lose."  
  
"And I'll never give in to you." Akane told him angrily. "I'll die   
  
first."  
  
"It won't come to that. You'll change your mind eventually. Maybe   
  
not now, but something will change your mind later, once you start playing   
  
the Game. Your friends will be the ones to suffer."  
  
"What? How?"  
  
He shook his head at her. "Akane, don't you understand anything  
  
that's going on? They all agreed to play the game. Now they'll have to  
  
pay the consequences." Gabriel turned and began to walk away.  
  
"No-- wait!"  
  
"It's too late, Akane. I gave you your chance and you refused it.   
  
From now on, we'll be playing the Game for real."  
  
"But..."  
  
"You can start with this riddle." Turning back, head tilted   
  
slightly, he recited:  
  
"I am just two and two. I am hot. I am cold.  
  
I'm the parent of numbers that cannot be told.  
  
I'm a gift beyond measure, a matter of course,  
  
And I'm yielded with pleasure --when taken by force."  
  
Akane shook her head. "And that riddle tells me who you are?"  
  
Gabriel laughed. "No. That tells what I want from you. Give   
  
me the answer and I'll let one of your friends go."  
  
Akane pushed the riddle to the back of her mind. It didn't make  
  
any sense, and it was impossible to concentrate on anything with Gabriel  
  
in the room. He was obviously loving this Game and having a great time.  
  
The jerk.  
  
"That's all." he said. "Let the Game begin. By the way, if one  
  
of you gets hurt in the Game, you get hurt for real. If you die, you  
  
die. And I can guarantee you right now, that one of you probably  
  
won't make it out alive."  
  
Akane's head jerked up. "Who?"  
  
"That would be telling. Lets just say that one of you probably   
  
doesn't have the strength to make it through your nightmare. Oh, and  
  
did I mention the time limit? The door at the top of the house-- the  
  
door back to your world-- is going to close at dawn. Which is at   
  
exactly six-eleven. If you can't get to it by then, you're stuck here. So,   
  
don't waste your time. Here's something to remind you."  
  
Far away an unseen clock, signaled the hour. It's clear chimes  
  
ringing out. Akane turned towards the sound, counting unconsciously as it   
  
struck. It was ten.  
  
Akane opened her mouth to speak, but when she turned back  
  
around, Gabriel was gone.  
  
***  
  
End of Chapter 4  
  
***  
  
Authors Notes  
  
_____________  
  
Questions? Comments? Flames?   
  
Um... don't bother with the Flames though, I'll just ignore them.   
  
I'm not very good with insults.  
  
Now to give credit where credit is due: Thanks go to Rumiko   
  
Takahashi, (for creating the Ranmaverse and all the wonderful characters in  
  
it) and to L.J. Smith (for being one of my favorite authors and for writing   
  
so many wonderful books!)   
  
The riddle that Gabriel used is from L.J. Smith's book. I tried   
  
to find another riddle with the same answer but didn't have much luck...  
  
Thanks to Melissa who offered her comments and suggestions...  
  
  
  
This story is still being continued, so don't worry!!!  
  
Ja!  
  
____________  
  
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _   
  
  
  
"God defends me from my friends;  
  
from my enemies I can defend myself."  
  
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _   
  
T * * * G  
  
My email/ ICQ:  
  
jewellangela@hotmail.com  
  
26382915  
  
Homepage:  
  
http://www.angelfire.com/ak2/ranma/Game.html  
  
http://www.angelfire.com/ak2/ranma/index.html  
  
T * * * G 


	5. Chapter 5

Thank god for caffeine!  
  
Without it, I would never have gotten this done!   
  
(C&C welcome. Not to mention needed)  
  
----------------------   
  
THE GAME  
  
By: Angela Jewell  
  
----------------------  
  
Based on the trilogy, The Forbidden Game by L.J. Smith  
  
Ranma 1/2 is the property and creation of Rumiko Takahashi, and   
  
whoever else owns it. I'm not making any money off of this so don't sue   
  
me. Besides, good luck if you tried. I'm broke.  
  
***  
  
Volume 1:  
  
Spellbound  
  
***  
  
What are you running from,  
  
when you know that you   
  
can't hide?  
  
who are you running to,   
  
when you know that everything   
  
is just a lie?  
  
Why are you trying to run away?  
  
Why don't you just give up?  
  
What is there to live for,   
  
if you have no one to love?  
  
Why are you so confused,   
  
your mind racing   
  
through possibilities  
  
you have?  
  
It is just so simple,   
  
it is over everywhere you are at.  
  
Nothing will change,  
  
what has happened is in the past.  
  
You can change the future,   
  
but what is the use for that?  
  
You are running from the pain,   
  
only to find greater pain  
  
everywhere you turn.  
  
There is no way out,   
  
Don't you ever learn?  
  
- Ivanna K   
  
***  
  
Chapter 5  
  
***  
  
Ranma strained at the ropes, trying to free his arms that were  
  
tied tightly behind his back. This whole situation was strange. He   
  
couldn't even remember being tied up-- let alone giving someone the   
  
opportunity to constrain his arms and legs-- and there was something   
  
*weird* about the ropes. For one thing he couldn't seem to get out of   
  
them. Every time he tried, they just seemed to get tighter and tighter.   
  
It was as if someone were personally holding the ropes in place.  
  
Ranma sighed in frustration and leaned back against the table   
  
behind him. He wasn't sure what was happening. The last thing he   
  
remembered was talking to that Gabriel guy, the one who called himself   
  
'The Shadow Man.' The next thing he knew he was surrounded by an army of   
  
cats and was fighting for his life! He had no idea where he was now...  
  
Once his eyes grew accustomed to the darkness, Ranma glanced  
  
around the room, taking in his surroundings. All around him were small   
  
tables and racks, filled with rare and unusual items. They almost seemed   
  
to fill the room, making it appear crowded and smaller than it actually   
  
was.  
  
He wasn't sure, but it looked like some kind of a store. Although   
  
if it was, it didn't look like any store _he'd_ ever seen.  
  
An old antique register sat on a counter, covered with dust and   
  
cobwebs, and many long, rectangular shelves filled with games, lined the   
  
walls. Or at least... he _thought_ they were games. He recognized a few   
  
of the box covers, but most of the others had weird symbols on them that   
  
he had never seen before.  
  
A loud chime rang out, and Ranma turned his head in the direction   
  
the sound had come from. There, in a darkly lit corner of the room, a   
  
grandfather clock stood tall, half hidden in and out of the surrounding   
  
shadows. The mouth of the clock stood out against the darkness, it's big   
  
and little hands moving swiftly around the face. Ranma silently counted   
  
the loud chimes, silently praying that it was still keeping the correct   
  
time.  
  
If it was, then it should be around 10:00...  
  
"Where the hell am I?" Ranma complained as he glanced around the   
  
room in frustration, a little unnerved by his surroundings. "And where   
  
the hell's the door?!"   
  
Ranma tried once again to break free of the ropes, pulling and   
  
straining as hard as he could. Still, they wouldn't budge. Frustrated,   
  
and, even though he hated to admit it, a little tired, Ranma leaned   
  
against the table and did the only thing left to do.  
  
He waited.  
  
T * * * G  
  
Akane crossed her arms against her chest and glanced around the   
  
room. No matter how hard she tried, she still couldn't believe this was   
  
happening. None of it seemed real... not to mention fair. And yet... she   
  
still couldn't help feeling a small pang of guilt. From now on, everything   
  
that happened would be _her_ fault. If Kasumi or Nabiki or any of the   
  
others got hurt, she would be the one to blame. She was the one that   
  
bought that stupid game even though her gut instincts had been screaming   
  
at her not too. And although she couldn't explain why, she *was* the one   
  
Gabriel wanted.  
  
Akane angrily pushed that thought to the back of her mind, along   
  
with the feelings of guilt and self pity. It didn't really matter whose   
  
fault it was... the fact that this was happening at all was ludicrous...   
  
... Not to mention a little frightening.  
  
And even the fact that this could all be some kind of bad dream   
  
wasn't a comfort. Because even if it was, she knew it was one nightmare   
  
she'd never wake up from.   
  
There was only one thing left for her to do: try her best to deal   
  
with everything that was happening. Besides, there was no *way* she was   
  
going to let that-- that pervert-- *win* her. She was tired of boys   
  
treating her like some kind of prize. It was about time she put a stop to   
  
it. Every time she was kidnapped it was always Ranma that rescued her.   
  
But not this time. This time, she'd do it herself, without his help. If   
  
Gabriel wanted her to play this stupid game... well... she'd play it all   
  
right. And no matter what, she didn't intend to lose.   
  
Akane glanced around the room, looking for a way out. If she could   
  
just find a door or a window then maybe she could go for help...  
  
"There!" Akane's eyes focused on a curtained window that stood   
  
opposite to where she was standing. Quickly, she began to walk towards   
  
it, to the point where she was actually running.   
  
And then, pulling the heavy curtain aside...  
  
She froze.   
  
Everywhere she looked was ice. A blizzard of snow and what looked   
  
like fire shot across the sky, illuminating strange, irregular shapes that   
  
seemed to loom over the earth. Bright flashes of light revealed strange,   
  
alien like creatures, crawling along on the icy ground, their sharp teeth   
  
gleaming in the darkness. But not only that... the ground was _red_--   
  
_blood_ red-- not white like snow was _suppose_ to be.   
  
And Akane stood motionless, staring out at the icy hell before her   
  
with a mixture of amazement, fear and disgust. She knew with a sick   
  
certainty that she'd never last a moment out there.  
  
It was like all those horror movies she was always watching, the   
  
ones where Ranma would sneak up behind her and then scream, causing her   
  
to jump up in alarm...   
  
Except that this time... the horror movie was real...  
  
Akane quickly drew the curtain shut and started backing unsteadily   
  
away from the window, quiet sobs forming in her throat... and the panic--   
  
everything she'd held carefully in check since this whole incident began--   
  
started to rise...   
  
This can't be happening! This *can't* be happening!   
  
I mean, sure, she'd seen monsters or ghosts before-- even been   
  
possessed by them a couple of times-- but those had been *mostly* harmless.   
  
But these-- those *things* outside-- God... she could still see their   
  
razor sharp teeth...  
  
And there had been blood and fire everywhere she looked! The   
  
fire... shooting across the sky, revealing those horrible creatures on   
  
the ground...  
  
But it had been the blood that had frightened her the most. The   
  
blood... soaking into the snow, leaving long, dark, reddish trails...  
  
And yet, another frightening thought had entered her mind,   
  
focusing above all else: She was all alone, in a dark, possibly haunted   
  
house, and those things... they were just outside...  
  
Akane choked back a sob, trying hard not to scream. She had to   
  
stay in control; stay focused. Everyone was depending on her. She couldn't  
  
fall apart at the seams *now* of all times!  
  
Akane took a deep breath and continued walking, trying hard to   
  
push the horrible scene from her mind she had just witnessed... to gather   
  
her scattered thoughts so that she could remember the configuration of   
  
the paper house. She paused for a moment; concentrating. The parlor had   
  
been off a long central hallway on the first floor, and at the end of   
  
that hallway had been a staircase.  
  
Gabriel had said they'd be scattered around the house somewhere.   
  
Since the parlor was the only room on this floor that had to mean they   
  
were upstairs some place.   
  
Akane walked through the candle-lit hallway, heading towards the   
  
stairwell. The movements were automatic, no real destination behind them.   
  
If she even tried to think about what she was doing, she knew she'd stop   
  
walking and freeze.  
  
For some reason, she had always hated being in a dark room by   
  
herself. There was something frightening about not knowing what was   
  
lurking around the corner or what might be sneaking up behind her that   
  
always made her want to crawl into a corner and hide. But unfortunately,   
  
that wasn't an option. She couldn't. Everyone was counting on her. Kasumi,   
  
Nabiki, Ukyo... they must be terrified.   
  
And after what she'd just seen outside...   
  
Well, she just wanted to get everyone to the attic door safe and   
  
sound and go home and put this nightmare behind her.   
  
Gathering her courage, she cautiously placed a foot on the   
  
stairway. Luckily, the step didn't crumble beneath her. Thankfully, it   
  
was solid. Akane sighed in relief and began climbing, heading towards the   
  
darkness at the top.  
  
She knew the game was going to be anything but easy, but there   
  
was no way she was going to just give up and surrender to Gabriel.   
  
Besides, if Gabriel *had* been watching her for so long, like he said he   
  
has, then he must know by now that she never backs down from a challenge.  
  
"Don't worry you guys." Akane whispered, her face set with   
  
determination. "This is one game I'm not going to lose."  
  
And with that said, Akane continued climbing.  
  
T * * * G  
  
Ranma was angry to say the least. It had already been a half-hour   
  
and still "his captor" hadn't come to see him or to gloat. Not that he   
  
didn't already know who was behind all of this.  
  
"So... how's my little captive doing?" a voice spoke up from   
  
behind him.   
  
Ranma didn't have to turn around to know who the voice belonged   
  
too. He knew instantly. "What the hell did ya tie me up for?" he demanded,  
  
turning his head slightly so that he faced Gabriel.   
  
"Well... I couldn't have you escaping now could I?"  
  
Ranma smirked. "Oh, an I suppose ya thought a few lousy ropes   
  
could keep me here?"  
  
Gabriel smiled in amusement. "Well... it appears to be working so   
  
far..."  
  
Ranma ignored the comment. "Where are the others?" he demanded,   
  
his superior expression wavering slightly. "What have you done with them?"  
  
"How many times do I have to repeat this?" Gabriel muttered in   
  
frustration. "They're all playing the game, of course."  
  
"And I'm not because..."  
  
"Well, I figured it would be much more *interesting* this way."   
  
Gabriel shrugged. "Besides, I can't have you helping Akane through the   
  
game now, can I?" he laughed. "That would be cheating. And cheating is   
  
wrong."  
  
"Cheating, huh?" Ranma asked dryly. "You sure you even know what   
  
that means?"  
  
Gabriel shook his head in disdain. "I suppose you're interested   
  
in what the rules are," he replied, moving slowly as he circled Ranma.   
  
"Well, let's see," Gabriel glanced around the room, as if looking for   
  
inspiration. "Actually, the rules are simple. I'll untie you; you'll wait   
  
here. Try to escape and one of your friends get hurt."  
  
"What kind of rules are those?" Ranma demanded, his eyes narrowed   
  
in anger. "That's not even fair!"  
  
"Who said anything about it being fair?" Gabriel asked impatiently.  
  
"This is *my* Game and *my* world. *I* make up the rules, not you. All   
  
_you_ have to do is obey them. If not..." Gabriel shrugged, a slight smile  
  
on his face. "Well, let's just say you *won't* like the consequences."  
  
Ranma's jaw clenched and his fists curled up convulsively at his   
  
sides. *Damn it,* he thought, a feeling of helplessness overcoming him.   
  
He couldn't stand the thought of sitting still while his friends were in   
  
trouble, but what else could he do? Gabriel didn't look like the type of   
  
guy who'd make empty threats. In fact, he knew he wasn't. He didn't suck   
  
them all into another world just to play some stupid game. They were   
  
there for one reason and one reason only: Akane.  
  
"Alright, you've made your point." Ranma turned his head so he   
  
wouldn't have to see the look of satisfaction on Gabriel's face. "Since I   
  
don't have much of a choice, I won't try to escape. Now, will ya hurry up   
  
an untie me?"  
  
Gabriel lifted his hand and extended it towards Ranma, his palm   
  
facedown. Then, with a flick of his wrist, the ropes around Ranma's arms   
  
and legs came undone, falling to the floor at his feet.  
  
"Done." Gabriel replied smugly, smiling slightly as he headed   
  
towards the door and away from Ranma; but not before he turned around   
  
once more to meet Ranma's gaze. "And remember," he added seriously, all   
  
traces of amusement gone from his voice. "If you try to escape, somebody   
  
gets hurt. Understood?"  
  
Ranma sighed and nodded, only half listening to what Gabriel was   
  
saying. His mind was focused on more important things; like how he was   
  
gonna help Akane-- or any of the others-- without breaking his promise to   
  
Gabriel.  
  
"Oh, I almost forgot," Gabriel turned around and sketched a   
  
backwards S in the air with his finger, then in his hypnotic voice, Ranma   
  
heard him utter something that sounded like Sianto. Ranma raised an   
  
eyebrow in confusion, unsure of what was going on. Sianto? He'd never   
  
heard that word before. Unless of course, it was another one of those   
  
stupid runes Gabriel was talking about earlier.   
  
Unfortunately, the only rune Ranma could remember was the one   
  
called Uruz-- something or other, the rune used to pierce the veil between   
  
worlds. That damn rune was the reason they were stuck here in the first   
  
place.  
  
A brilliant flash of light filled the room, forcing Ranma to   
  
shield his eyes from the blinding glow. When the light finally receded,   
  
Ranma opened his eyes to see Gabriel standing there, holding a small   
  
mirror in his hands.  
  
Ranma stared in amazement at the mirror. "I-- it just appeared out  
  
of nowhere!" he stuttered. Gabriel just stood indifferently, his   
  
expression cool and uncaring.  
  
"Well, what did you expect?" Gabriel replied dryly, glancing down   
  
at the mirror in his hands.   
  
"Well.... Um... what is it? I mean... it's not just some cruddy   
  
ol' mirror, right?"  
  
"That symbol I made was the rune of sight." Gabriel explained, his  
  
tone tinged with scorn. "With this mirror you'll be able to see what's   
  
happening with your friends. All you have to do is concentrate on the   
  
person you want to see and the mirror will show you what that person's   
  
doing at that exact moment."  
  
Gabriel handed the mirror to Ranma, who looked at it in confusion,   
  
turning it around in his hands. "So, all I gotta do is think of the person   
  
I want to see and then they'll appear in this mirror?"  
  
Gabriel rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Isn't that what I just   
  
said?"  
  
Ranma's eyes narrowed in suspicion, a familiar doubt creeping into  
  
his mind. "Okay, what's the catch?" he asked, meeting Gabriel's gaze.   
  
After all, he hadn't lived with Nabiki all those years for nothing.  
  
Gabriel smiled in reply. "No catch," he shrugged. "I just thought   
  
you'd like to check up on your friends, or should I say fiancés, every   
  
now and then. Just to see how they're doing..." Ranma's suspicions   
  
increased. "And of course to check on Akane." He added nonchalantly. "I'm   
  
sure you'll want to see how she's doing as she goes through the game. I   
  
mean, she *is* the main player after all..."  
  
"What do you mean the main player?" Ranma asked angrily, his voice  
  
accusing. "That stupid tomboy doesn't know the first thing about--"  
  
Gabriel cut him off abruptly with a wave of his hand... and Ranma   
  
stood in shock, confused, and a little frightened... because... all of a   
  
sudden... he realized he couldn't speak. His mouth was open and moving...   
  
but... _nothing_ was coming out...   
  
"What is it with you anyway?" Gabriel demanded in annoyance,   
  
lowering his hand and releasing Ranma from his spell in the process.   
  
"You *constantly* insist that she means *nothing* too you and yet you   
  
become a jealous, irrational, rude, possessive, *idiot* whenever she's   
  
kidnapped, or in trouble!" Gabriel ran his hands through his pure white   
  
hair in frustration, and met Ranma's gaze angrily, his surreal eyes   
  
meeting his. "I mean, Damn it! You have an *amazing* girl that I would do  
  
anything for-- and you treat her like *shit*! If you really don't want   
  
her why not save everyone the trouble and just give her to me."   
  
"What?!" Ranma shouted, startled out of silence by a blinding   
  
anger so powerful, that he almost instantly forgot what Gabriel had done  
  
to him only moments before. "What the hell are you talkin about?! *I*   
  
treat *her* like shit?! What about how *she* treats *me,* huh? I don't   
  
know *what* planet or dimension you're from. You obviously know nothing   
  
about what you're talkin about. Akane is *far* from perfect and innocent.   
  
I treat her the same way she treats me!"   
  
"Yeah, sure you do." Gabriel muttered. "If you really feel that   
  
way about her then why don't you just go off with Ukyo, Shampoo, or that   
  
psychotic little bitch that's obsessed with you and leave Akane to me."  
  
"Look, you jerk," Ranma said slowly, trying to hold his anger in   
  
check. "Me an Akane may not get along all that well, but she's *still* my   
  
fiancé, got it? There's no _way_ I'm going to lose her to some-- some   
  
space freak like you-- so you might as well let the others go and we'll   
  
settle this right here and now."  
  
"Oh, please," Gabriel muttered. "Do you *honestly* think you can   
  
beat me in a fight?"  
  
Ranma met his eyes without flinching. "You're damn straight." He   
  
replied. "And I don't care *what* planet or dimention or where ever the   
  
hell you're from. Either way, you're going down."  
  
Gabriel nodded his head and smiled.   
  
"Alright," he shrugged. "Then let's finish this." And before the   
  
words had left his mouth, Ranma launched himself at Gabriel.  
  
T * * * G  
  
"Stupid door," Shampoo muttered, trying once again to kick the   
  
door open that seemed to be glued shut. "Door open *NOW*!" Shampoo began   
  
to tug furiously at the doorknob, but still to no avail. Frustrated and   
  
annoyed, she gave a loud battle cry as she began to kick the door angrily,  
  
leaving small dents in the hard wood. Unfortunately, the door remained   
  
closed.  
  
"Shampoo?" a small voice spoke up, startling her out of her futile   
  
struggle with the door. "Is that you?"  
  
Shampoo turned around and glanced into the darkness. "Akane?" she   
  
asked, instantly recognizing the voice and the outline of the figure it   
  
belonged to. "What you doing here? Where Ranma?"  
  
Akane stepped out of the surrounding shadows, relief clear on her   
  
face. 'Finally I found someone!' At this point she didn't really care if  
  
it *was* Shampoo.  
  
"Um... so, what were you trying to do?" Akane asked lightly,   
  
moving to stand beside her. "I mean, it looked like you were, um..." she   
  
cleared her throat uncomfortably. "Trying to beat up the door."   
  
"No be stupid," Shampoo said, frowning. "Shampoo no could open   
  
door, is all. Door is stuck."  
  
"Oh, is that all?" Akane asked slowly. "Well, maybe if we both   
  
try it'll open."  
  
Shampoo shrugged noncommittally. This was the only door she'd   
  
come across since she'd been separated from the group so what other   
  
choice did they have? She didn't think the chances of finding another   
  
door were very great anyway... not to mention the fact that she didn't   
  
want to leave this particular one. She'd already wasted five minutes just   
  
trying to get the stupid thing open...   
  
"Ok," Akane announced, moving to stand beside Shampoo. "On the   
  
count of three, alright?" Shampoo nodded her consent as she braced herself   
  
against the door, next to Akane.  
  
"Ok, here we go," Akane replied, readying herself. "One," she   
  
began slowly, "Two. Th-- HEY!" The words were cut short as Akane was   
  
rudely pulled away from the door. "Shampoo! Have you gone crazy?! *What*   
  
are you _doing_?!"  
  
"Akane, what Shadow Man tell you?" Shampoo asked, ignoring her   
  
barrage of questions. "Before opening door, Shampoo want know what she   
  
getting into. Is no good to go into battle unprepared. Even if fighter   
  
*is* Amazon warrior."  
  
Akane sighed in resignation, the anger that had been there only   
  
moments before slowly seeping out of her body. "Well, according to   
  
Gabriel-- I mean, 'The Shadow Man,'-- we're playing the game," she   
  
replied slowly, choosing her words with care. "Except that... well,   
  
according to him... it's for real."   
  
"Aiyaa!" Shampoo's eyes widened. "Too bad Great Grandmother not   
  
here. She know what to do."  
  
"Yeah." Akane nodded sadly, disappointed that the aged matriarch   
  
wasn't with them.   
  
Shampoo's great grandmother's knowledge of ancient stories,   
  
myths, or legends sure would come in handy right about now. "Shampoo, do   
  
*you* remember any mention of people called Shadow Men?"   
  
Shampoo thought hard, a faint glimmer of a memory surfacing.   
  
"Name sure seem familiar," she mused, thinking aloud.   
  
Akane waited patiently, a new hope filling her. Maybe Shampoo   
  
would know something about Shadow Men... like their secret weakness or   
  
something. If she knew *that* then defeating Gabriel should be easy!  
  
Unfortunately, moments later, Akane's hopes fell as Shampoo   
  
sighed in resignation. "Shampoo no can think of it." she shrugged sadly.   
  
"But maybe Shampoo remember later."   
  
"Okay," Akane sighed, unable to hide her disappointment.  
  
"So," Shampoo continued, "Where husband and others?"   
  
"Well, he said-- you know, Gabriel-- that everyone was scattered   
  
around the house, waiting for their nightmares to come true--" Akane's   
  
words were cut short as they were suddenly drowned out by several loud   
  
chimes, echoing all around her. At that moment, Akane remembered something  
  
that had slipped her mind earlier. They were on a time limit!   
  
"Shampoo," she continued uneasily. "I sort of forgot to mention   
  
that there's a time limit, so I think we should probably hurry up and get   
  
this door open."  
  
Shampoo nodded and prepared to kick the door in.  
  
"Wait!" Akane shouted, stopping Shampoo before she could follow   
  
through with her kick. "Don't you think we should be prepared? I mean, we   
  
don't have any idea what could be behind there..."  
  
Shampoo relaxed her posture. "Akane right," she admitted as she   
  
backed slowly away from the door. "Akane open door and Shampoo kick door   
  
shut if monster try to get out, Yes?"  
  
"Alright," Akane agreed, preparing herself for anything. "But be   
  
ready to shut it fast. We don't know what could be in there-- or what   
  
could be trying to get out--"  
  
Shampoo nodded and shot her a predatory smile, her way of saying   
  
she was prepared to kick the door shut if need be. Akane put her hand on   
  
the doorknob and slowly began to turn it, waiting for Shampoo's command.  
  
"NOW!" Shampoo shouted, and Akane flung the door open.  
  
T * * * G  
  
Gabriel stood firmly in place, watching with feigned interest, as   
  
Ranma launched an angry, yet skilled, attack. The kicks and punches were   
  
strong, and would have easily hit their target... if Gabriel had remained   
  
standing where Ranma's punches and kicks were landing. Instead, Ranma   
  
stopped in the middle of his assault and began looking around in confusion.  
  
Because... Gabriel was gone. Not to mention, all sense of his   
  
prescence. Ranma couldn't *see* him, let alone *feel* him anywhere.  
  
Ranma ran a hand through his unruly black hair in frustration and   
  
sighed. _Now_ where the hell did he go? He couldn't have just disappeared?!  
  
Could he?  
  
Actually, now that he thought about it, that option wasn't all   
  
that unlikely.   
  
"Bravo!" Gabriel shouted, clapping his hands together loudly in   
  
appreciation. "Nice attack," he nodded approvingly, "But I'm afraid you're  
  
going to have to do better than that if you want to beat me."  
  
Ranma turned around slowly, to see Gabriel standing behind him,   
  
unscathed and unharmed. "How-- I mean, *what* did you just do? How'd you   
  
just disappear like that?" he asked in wonder.   
  
Gabriel waved his hand in dismissal. "Oh, that." he laughed.   
  
"That was child's play. Anyone can learn it." he smiled, as he took a   
  
threatening step forward. "But I'd say you've had your little fun, so I   
  
guess that means it's my turn." Then, tightly closing his eyes, Gabriel   
  
put his hands together to form a small peaked triangle. Ranma looked at   
  
Gabriel with uncertainty, unsure of what he was going to do next. Then,   
  
seconds later, Ranma fell to his knees in agony, a sharp pain shooting   
  
through his chest.   
  
"How does that feel, Ranma?" Gabriel asked smugly, moving to stand   
  
before him. "Now," he smiled, putting a finger to his lip in concentration.  
  
"What was that you were saying about taking me down?"  
  
"Damn you," Ranma muttered, clutching his chest. "W-what the hell   
  
are-- are you doing to me..."  
  
"Why, Ranma," Gabriel admonished. "I thought you *wanted* to fight  
  
all out."  
  
Ranma didn't have the strength to respond, instead, he cried out   
  
in agony again as the pain in his chest intensified, a few solitary tears  
  
escaping his clenched eyes.  
  
"Well," Gabriel complained. "You're no fun. You're not even   
  
fighting back." Gabriel waved his hand with dismissal, and the   
  
excruciating pain Ranma had felt only moments before disappeared, leaving   
  
only a dull pain in its absence. Ranma leaned his hands against the   
  
floor, trying hard to calm his breathing.   
  
Gabriel started to laugh, his voice echoing eerily around the   
  
room and Ranma stiffened, anger burning in his eyes. "What's so funny?"   
  
he demanded angrily.  
  
"Nothing." Gabriel smiled. "It's just that... well... I didn't   
  
even use my full strength."   
  
Ranma paled visibly.  
  
Gabriel shook his head in disgust. "You *know* you don't deserve   
  
her," he replied flatly, shrugging. "She's much too good for you."  
  
Ranma lifted his eyes from the ground where his gaze had been   
  
focused and met Gabriel's, his own burning with hatred and determination.   
  
"I know I don't deserve her," he replied, his voice soft and bitter. "But   
  
there's no way in hell I'm going to just hand her over to you." he spat.   
  
"Besides," he added quietly. "She's a _thousand_ times too good for *you*   
  
anyway."  
  
"Too true," Gabriel replied nonchalantly. "Which is exactly why I   
  
want her. And *nobody* not you and not any of your *friends* are going to   
  
stop me from getting what I want." Gabriel turned around abruptly, heading   
  
towards a door in the back of the room that had appeared out of thin air.   
  
As he reached the door, he turned back to Ranma and smiled. "Oh, and   
  
please be sure to use that mirror." he reminded him. "After all..." he   
  
continued. "I wouldn't want you to miss seeing Akane surrender to me..."   
  
Ranma's jaw clenched. "That'll *never* happen."  
  
Gabriel's smile broadened. "Of course it will." he laughed. "All   
  
in due time," he promised. "The only question remaining is whether or not   
  
she'll surrender to me willingly."  
  
And with that, Gabriel left the room, leaving Ranma to gape after   
  
him him in anger and frustration.  
  
***  
  
End of Chapter 5  
  
***  
  
Authors Notes  
  
_____________  
  
Questions? Comments? Flames?   
  
Um... don't bother with the Flames though, I'll just ignore them.   
  
I'm not very good with insults.  
  
Special thanks go to my pre-readers, Tom Schauer and Melissa   
  
Cordez who helped me fix A LOT of the mistakes I always make. They also   
  
gave me a lot of useful suggestions and criticism.  
  
Also, Thanks go to Rumiko Takahashi, (for creating the Ranmaverse   
  
and all the wonderful characters in it) and to L.J. Smith (for being one   
  
of my favorite authors and for writing so many wonderful books!)   
  
Finally, thanks go to everyone who e-mailed me and encouraged me   
  
to finish this chapter! I REALLY appreciated it!   
  
Hopefully, I'll have Chapter 4 of Turning Back Time out by New   
  
Years. If not, then sometime in January... if the world doesn't end, that   
  
is =)  
  
And I DO have an excuse as to why I stopped working on Learning   
  
to Let Go and Turning Back Time for such a long time. I'll add the   
  
explanation in my next update for TBT.   
  
Chapter 6 coming eventually, although it'll probably take me a   
  
while... partly because of school and partly because I'm lazy...  
  
  
  
Ja!  
  
____________  
  
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _   
  
  
  
A man has made at least a start on   
  
discovering the meaning of human life when   
  
he plants shade trees under which he   
  
knows full well he will never sit.   
  
  
  
-D. Elton Trueblood   
  
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _   
  
T * * * G  
  
My email/ ICQ:  
  
jewellangela@hotmail.com  
  
26382915  
  
Homepage:  
  
http://www.angelfire.com/ak2/ranma/Game.html  
  
http://www.angelfire.com/ak2/ranma/index.html  
  
T * * * G 


	6. Chapter 6

Thank god for caffeine!  
  
Without it, I would never have gotten this done!   
  
(C&C welcome. Not to mention needed)  
  
----------------------   
  
THE GAME  
  
By: Angela Jewell  
  
----------------------  
  
Based on the trilogy, The Forbidden Game by L.J. Smith  
  
Ranma 1/2 is the property and creation of Rumiko Takahashi, and   
  
whoever else owns it. I'm not making any money off of this so don't sue   
  
me. Besides, good luck if you tried. I'm broke.  
  
***  
  
Volume 1:  
  
Spellbound  
  
***  
  
we will find the perfect place to go  
  
where we can run and hide  
  
i will build a wall  
  
and we can keep them on the other side   
  
-Nine Inch Nails  
  
***  
  
Chapter 6  
  
***  
  
When they opened the door they weren't sure what to expect: big green monsters   
  
with dripping fangs and long curved claws, or small little elves, with razor sharp teeth   
  
and pointed horns... definitely not what they saw before them...  
  
They were in the Nekohanten.  
  
Shampoo released the deep breath she'd been holding and turned to   
  
Akane in confusion. "What we doing here?" she asked, glancing around the   
  
room in surprise.  
  
Akane shrugged, completely at a loss. "I don't suppose this was your nightmare,   
  
by any chance?" she asked hopefully.  
  
"Course not!" Shampoo replied, her voice taking on a hint of indignation.   
  
"Shampoo have much *much* worst nightmare than stupid job!"   
  
"Of course you do," Akane retorted, finding herself anxious to stand up to the   
  
Amazon and defend her reasonable question. "After all, chasing Ranma can't be all   
  
fun and games."  
  
Shampoo glared resentfully at Akane. "Violent girl be careful," she warned,   
  
her voice as cold as ice. "Or Shampoo get mad... and you no want   
  
make Amazon warrior mad."   
  
Akane ignored the threat and moved towards one of the many tables that   
  
filled the Nekohanten. "Well... I guess I should have asked you this *before* we   
  
kicked open the door, but what *was* your nightmare, Shampoo?"  
  
"Shampoo no can remember," she answered coldly.  
  
"Really, Shampoo," Akane sighed, shaking her head in exasperation.   
  
"Do you REALLY expect me to believe that?!"  
  
  
  
"Shampoo no care what you believe," she answered truthfully, her   
  
words filled with scorn. "Besides. Is Akane's fault we here in first place.   
  
Shampoo no owe explanation. Nightmare is Shampoo business. Not Akane."   
  
"The hell it isn't!" Akane exploded. "Your nightmare is about to come true,   
  
Shampoo! What part of that _don't_ you understand?!"  
  
Shampoo remained silent a moment, then met Akane's eyes with a look of   
  
total and utter conviction. "Shampoo face nightmare alone. Is matter of honor. If   
  
Shampoo no can beat nightmare then Shampoo no have right to be Amazon warrior."   
  
"But, Shampoo..." Akane began.  
  
"This Shampoo fight," she interrupted. "No concern violent pervert girl."   
  
That did it. Akane's temper-- which had been slowly burning since Shampoo   
  
had begun to speak and which she had managed to keep pretty much under control   
  
considering the circumstances-- finally burst. "Damn it, Shampoo!" she yelled, her fists   
  
clenched and her face red with anger. "This isn't just about _you_ anymore. This entire   
  
thing is going to affect me too! Why in the world do you think we're here in the first   
  
place?!" she asked angrily, the absurdity of this whole situation finally asserting itself.   
  
"I'm this psychopath's prize, for crying out loud!"   
  
Shampoo remained silent, rooted to the very spot where she stood.  
  
"Look," Akane continued relentlessly. "I know you all think I'm not as good   
  
of a martial artist as you, but I'm *still* a martial artist, got it? Besides, considering   
  
the circumstances I'm the *only* one who can help you with this nightmare. And   
  
who knows... you might need my help after all..."  
  
"But, Akane..." Shampoo began weakly.  
  
"And I know you're right." Akane interrupted, holding her hand up to silence   
  
her before she could finish her sentence. "It _is_ my fault we're all here in the first   
  
place. Which only makes me more determined to make sure that we all get out of   
  
here alive. But in order to do that, I have to know what we're up against. Now--   
  
I'm going to ask you this one more time, Shampoo-- and please answer truthfully.   
  
What is your nightmare? "  
  
Shampoo sighed in defeat. Akane's reasoning was too well justified to argue   
  
against. She couldn't think of a single thing she could say that would help her case.   
  
But that still didn't mean she had to tell Akane everything... "Don't worry," she said   
  
at last, trying her best to sound reassuring. "Nightmare no come true yet-- might no   
  
come true at all-- Akane know when Akane see." Shampoo turned her back on   
  
Akane without another word and headed towards the only door in the room: The   
  
door they had entered the Nekohanten through. Akane-- her anger spent-- silently   
  
fumed as she followed her.  
  
"Just great," she thought to herself, "I'm no better off now than I was to begin with!"  
  
Shampoo stood before the door they had entered and reached for the door handle--   
  
only to be met with empty air when she was mere inches away from touching it.   
  
Somehow... the doorknob had disappeared!   
  
A loud creaking sound succeeded it, and then, as quickly as the doorknob had   
  
vanished, the door itself followed its lead. Slowly, it began to shimmer and blink, until  
  
at last it too vanished completely from sight. Shampoo started in surprise and took a   
  
step back, the sound of Akane gasping behind her echoing in her ears.  
  
"Shampoo..." Akane began uneasily, backing away from the door that had   
  
stood before her only moments before, "Do you have any idea what's going on?"  
  
Shampoo shook her head as she too began to slowly inch away from the   
  
now empty doorway. "Shampoo no idea," she answered truthfully, all pretense   
  
of her composed state gone.   
  
Further conversation was cut short as a loud, deafening rumbling erupted   
  
from behind them. Both girls turned around simultaneously, their battle senses   
  
now alert. What looked like a large ball of light was slowly advancing towards   
  
them. Its center-- brightest of all-- blinding them whenever they looked into it.   
  
"What is it?" Akane asked Shampoo, more out of confusion than out of fear.  
  
Shampoo shrugged her shoulders, almost as confused as Akane.   
  
"Shampoo no know," she replied. "Akane think is dangerous?"   
  
"How am I suppose to know?" Akane replied. "Floating balls of lights don't   
  
usually approach me, Shampoo."  
  
The two stood completely still, watching the light as it continued to advance   
  
towards them. Then, when it was only about a foot away, the light exploded,   
  
enveloping the two surprised martial artists in its bright, blinding glow.  
  
Seconds later, the cruel sounds of laughter echoed throughout the room.   
  
Then, the Nekohanten was shrouded in darkness...  
  
T * * * G  
  
Akane awoke, surprised to find herself securely restrained against a hard   
  
slate table. The cold smooth surface alerted her senses and she blinked several   
  
times, trying to fight off the dizziness that clouded her vision.   
  
Above her, a large bright light floated, suspended in the air by some unnatural   
  
force.  
  
Akane turned her head to the side as far as her binds would allow. There, a   
  
few feet to her to her right, was Shampoo, restrained in much the same manner.  
  
Futilely she struggled against the restraints, trying to free her arms and legs.   
  
Shampoo's labored breathing could be heard from the small distance that separated   
  
them.   
  
Akane turned her head to the side, trying to catch Shampoo's attention.   
  
Unfortunately, she was so engrossed in her battle with her bindings, that she failed   
  
to notice her.   
  
"Shampoo," Akane questioned, trying to catch the Amazon's attention, "What's   
  
going o--"   
  
Her question was cut short as the sound of something approaching   
  
echoed in her ears. The sound was loud and unnerving; like a wrecking ball slamming   
  
against a wall. Akane strained her head around, trying to find out what was making the   
  
deafening sound. When she glanced over to Shampoo, she noticed that the Amazon   
  
had finally calmed down and was lying still on the table. Something was wrong though...   
  
Her whole face was completely white, and her entire body seemed to tremble.  
  
Shampoo's expression immediately hardened as the sound increased, coming   
  
closer with each deafening pounding. With one last violent effort, she began to tug   
  
with a newfound fury at the ropes that were binding her. The light suspended above   
  
her body, growing brighter after each desperate attempt. Her struggles were fierce   
  
and wild and her face was red from her exertions.  
  
After several minutes, the Amazon lay back against the table, tired and defeated.   
  
No closer to being free from her restraints than she'd been when she'd started.  
  
Akane had no idea what to do. Shampoo had refused to say what her nightmare   
  
was, so how in the world was she suppose to help her get out of it? All she knew was   
  
that her nightmare must involve some sort of evil creature.   
  
And *that* narrowed the choices down considerably...  
  
Akane struggled against her binds as the sounds of those loud pounding   
  
footsteps continued to come closer. The more she fought her restraints, however,   
  
the tighter they seemed to become. Akane stopped her struggling, trying to figure   
  
out how she could get out of this.  
  
Suddenly out of nowhere, a loud, sharp clanging noise sounded throughout   
  
the room and Akane turned her head in the direction the sound had come from.   
  
There, over to her far left in the corner of the room, a door had appeared   
  
out of nowhere. It wasn't like any other door she'd ever seen. It was surrounded   
  
entirely by vines... while little pink and white flowers adorned it. It filled the room   
  
with a unique scent, a perfume that resembled peppermint but smelled a little   
  
too sweet.  
  
"Shampoo, do you see that?" she called, turning her head towards the   
  
struggling Amazon. "There's a door over there!"   
  
Shampoo's struggles ceased as she looked towards the direction Akane   
  
was nodding towards. Akane faintly noted how the light above Shampoo's table   
  
had seemed to dim somewhat towards the end of her struggles.   
  
That was odd...  
  
Shampoo turned her head away from the door as she continued trying   
  
to loosen the ropes around her. "Shampoo no have time admire door, she replied,   
  
her voice tired and strained. "Shampoo get loose before Kuan Hou-ai come."  
  
"Kuan Hou-ai?" Akane asked, confused. "What in the world is that?"  
  
Shampoo turned towards Akane, a troubled expression lighting her face.   
  
"You no want know," she replied.  
  
Akane looked at her blankly, her anger ignited by a single spark. "What do   
  
you mean, 'I no want know?'" she screamed. "Of course I do! What the hell   
  
is it, Shampoo?!"  
  
"Kuan Hou-ai," Shampoo began, her voice shaking slightly, "Was very very evil   
  
monster in Amazon village. Is very big... *very* dangerous."  
  
Akane found herself blinking in confusion. Shampoo was afraid of something as   
  
common as a... as a run of the mill monster?   
  
The very thought was ludicrous!  
  
*Children* were afraid of monsters: Not fearless Amazon warriors! Besides,   
  
Shampoo was _used_ to fighting against monsters and ghosts.   
  
The fact that the proud, stubborn, Amazon could be frightened of one in particular   
  
simply floored her.   
  
"This very special monster," Shampoo added quickly as if reading Akane's thoughts.  
  
"Kuan Hou-ai *very* evil: Was even feared by most honored elders."  
  
"What do you mean, 'was?'" Akane asked, intrigued. "I mean, did you ever have   
  
to fight it before or something?"   
  
Shampoo shook her head. "Shampoo no fight Kuan Hou-ai," she explained.   
  
"Is legend pass down through many many generation. Kuan Hou-ai evil enemy:   
  
Force Shampoo ancestors to offer sacrifice every new moon. Must be female   
  
Amazon warrior-- monster no want males. Actually, now Shampoo think about it..."   
  
Shampoo paused, then sniffed in disdain. "Was smart monster!"  
  
Akane rolled her eyes. "And then what?" she prompted impatiently.  
  
"In return, Kuan Hou-ai protect village. No hunt Amazon warriors... outside   
  
new moon," she added.   
  
Akane blinked in surprise. "You mean to tell me that your village was willing   
  
to sacrifice your own people to satisfy this monster?"  
  
"Village no have choice," she replied defensively. "If no sacrifice, Kuan Hou-ai   
  
threaten kill elders in village!"   
  
"Oh," Akane replied sheepishly. "Well... um... what happened next?"  
  
"Legend say: Every new moon, tournament take place. All young warrior fight--   
  
loser of each match fight loser from preceding match. Loser over all become monster   
  
sacrifice. One new moon-- after tournament take place-- granddaughter of great elder   
  
lose match-- though destine be great warrior. Was no suppose to be in tournament in   
  
first place. Warrior broke Amazon law and entry in tournament was punishment."   
  
"Oh, now I see," said Akane. "Your elders were furious that they had to lose a   
  
promising young warrior. They stood up against Kuan Hou-ai and, I'm guessing,   
  
eventually defeated him, right?"  
  
Shampoo nodded her head. "Monster swear revenge: Promise he be back to   
  
finish what he start. Many honorable warrior die in bloody battle: Always fear monster   
  
come back. Finish job..."   
  
Akane nodded her head, finally understanding Shampoo's nightmare. What else   
  
would a fearless Amazon warrior be afraid of if not an old Amazon legend? A monster   
  
so frightening that ever her revered Amazon Elders feared its return? Even little children   
  
feared monsters in stories their parents told them...   
  
At that moment a bright light enveloped the room and Akane was forced to close   
  
her eyes tightly in order to block out its blinding rays. After only a couple seconds   
  
however, the light faded away, to be replaced once again with darkness.   
  
Akane heard Shampoo gasp and then cry out, and her eyes flew open in alarm.   
  
There it was, across the room-- a good distance away-- standing in a gaping   
  
hole in the far off wall.   
  
Now, seeing it for herself, she finally realized just *why* it was Shampoo's   
  
own, personal nightmare...  
  
Just its very presence *radiated* danger. And death.   
  
She didn't know where it had come from. It had just-- appeared-- when the   
  
bright light had left. And it was slowly, carefully, making its way towards them... Its   
  
large, gray body moving at a slow, sedate pace.   
  
She found to her astonishment that she couldn't move at all! She was actually   
  
paralyzed: Whether from fear or disbelief she wasn't sure...  
  
Its body was covered with dark green warts which looked old and wrinkled:   
  
Like a dried up old prune, with razor-sharp claws protruding from its back. Its mouth   
  
hung open at a grotesque angle, and its fangs-- dripping with saliva-- glinted in the   
  
darkness of the room. Its humongous feet were long and heavy and created large   
  
craters in its wake. And its hands were deformed and twisted-- with four sharp claws   
  
that extended from its long, bony fingers.  
  
But that's not what had captured her attention: What held her paralyzed and   
  
incapable of movement...  
  
It was its eyes.  
  
Eyes that burned a deep, glowing red in the darkness of the room and seemed to   
  
*penetrate* into you, leaving you feeling naked and exposed.  
  
And yet, there was something... familiar in its eyes. A glimmer of a memory that   
  
she couldn't quite place...  
  
'So this is what Shampoo's nightmare was,' she found herself thinking. Not the   
  
most logical thought in the world considering the circumstances-- but the fact that she   
  
could still think at all facing that-- that *thing*-- made up for it.  
  
Akane's thoughts were interrupted as she heard a soft whimper emanate from   
  
Shampoo's direction. Looking over towards Shampoo, Akane felt a sudden stab   
  
of pity. The Amazon's entire body was shaking, and her face was bright red from   
  
her desperate struggle to escape. The more she fought her binding however, the   
  
brighter the light above her seemed to glow. Akane looked up at her own light.   
  
It seemed... dimmer... somehow. The ropes which held her securely to the table   
  
even seemed slacker. She found she could even move her wrists a little when   
  
before she hadn't been able to move them at all.  
  
Akane looked back at the light above Shampoo, and noticed how   
  
every time Shampoo stopped struggling, the light above her body dimmed   
  
considerably. Suddenly, she understood.  
  
The two lights were connected somehow.   
  
"Shampoo," Akane exclaimed, trying her hardest to control her shaking voice   
  
as Kuan Hou-ai continued to advance closer. "Struggle as much as you can! I think   
  
I might be able to get loose!"  
  
"WHAT AKANE THINK SHAMPOO DOING?" she yelled.   
  
Akane ignored her as she concentrated intently on the light above   
  
her own body; keeping herself as still as she possibly could. Shampoo on   
  
the other hand, continued to drain all the energy from Akane's light into hers,   
  
continuing her furious struggling.   
  
After only a few seconds, the light above Akane had seemed to dim again,   
  
and she found she could move her wrists quite easily. Concentrating with all her   
  
strength, Akane began to pull and tug on the ropes. Which she found, to her   
  
satisfaction, were coming looser by the minute.   
  
Akane lifted her head up to check on the status of the monster. Sure enough   
  
it was still coming closer, albeit at its slow and patient speed. It almost looked like it   
  
was taking its time... Like it knew they weren't going anywhere and had all the time   
  
in the world.  
  
Akane actually found herself fighting back a smile. It wouldn't think of them   
  
as a easy meal for long...   
  
Smiling triumphantly, she finally managed to slip her hands out of their constraints.   
  
Her wrists felt raw and she was sure she was bleeding; but she didn't have time to worry   
  
about that now. Leaning forward slightly, she reached down and undid the restraints   
  
binding her waist, then, sitting up completely, reached down to untie her ankles.  
  
A loud wailing filled the room, forcing Akane to cut her celebration short. The   
  
monster appeared to have realized she was free from her bindings...   
  
Akane leaped off the table and raced over towards Shampoo who was still   
  
struggling relentlessly at her ropes: She could hear the sound of the monster's   
  
pounding footsteps echoing behind her.  
  
Akane began to tug furiously on the ropes that were binding Shampoo.  
  
As much as the Amazon got on her nerves, there was no way she could   
  
leave without her.   
  
Shampoo's face was stained with tears, and her body was shaking violently   
  
as she watched her worst nightmare approaching. She was hardly aware that Akane   
  
was right beside her, trying her hardest to break her free from the ropes.   
  
"Kuan Hou-ai--" she breathed.   
  
Akane freed one of Shampoo's wrists, and met her eyes with a mixture of sympathy   
  
and impatience. "Please, Shampoo--" she urged, "You *have* to snap out of it! I need   
  
your help to get you out of these things!"  
  
Shampoo reached over mechanically with her free hand and untied her other wrist,   
  
all the while never taking her eyes off of the monster that was fast approaching. Next,   
  
after both her wrists were free, she leaned forward slightly to undo the rope binding her   
  
waist while Akane moved towards the table to untie her ankles.  
  
And then, her eyes widened in fear as she saw the monster right behind Akane.   
  
Its red eyes burning as it surveyed her, its mouth open-- and its fangs-- bared and ready,   
  
drooling with anticipation. She barely had time to scream, "Akane!" when the monster   
  
let out a tremendous wail, lifted up one of its long sharp claws, and made a well-aimed   
  
blow directly at Akane's back...  
  
Akane turned around at the last possible moment, only to see the giant claw coming   
  
towards her-- and did the only thing she could do--   
  
She closed her eyes and screamed.  
  
Shampoo watched in horrified silence as the monster's giant claw continued its   
  
downward motion, aimed directly at Akane's back.   
  
Then watched in shocked surprise as a shimmering shadow appeared a couple   
  
feet behind the monster, glowing a beautiful shade of blue. Suddenly, time seemed to   
  
slow as a bright flash of glowing red energy left the shimmering being and headed   
  
straight towards the distracted monster.   
  
Whatever it was the blue shadow had thrown hit the monster from behind,   
  
enveloping it completely in the strange red glow. Kuan Hou-ai was lifted off the   
  
ground and dragged back a safe distance away from Akane, before its fatal   
  
strike could connect. Its large mouth hung open-- its teeth bared-- as it roared   
  
in anger and disgust, its red eyes glowing with undeniable fury.   
  
While all this was happening, Akane's eyes had remained glued firmly shut,   
  
waiting for the inevitable blow she was sure was coming. After several strained   
  
minutes however, the inevitable pain she'd been expecting never came and Akane   
  
opened one of her eyes warily.   
  
To her surprise, Kuan Hou-ai was no longer there, but a good distance away   
  
from her, glowing a strange shade of red. A few seconds later, the red glow   
  
disappeared and the monster hit the floor-- face first-- with an audible crash, a   
  
giant hole burned into its scaly back. Slowly and silently, Shampoo and Akane   
  
watched as the giant monster began to sink into the floor, wisps of smoke rising   
  
up around it.  
  
Shampoo tore her gaze away from the disturbing sight and back on the   
  
shimmering shadow that had been standing behind it only moments before.   
  
But the area was empty. There was no one there...  
  
T * * * G  
  
Ranma's heart was pounding in his chest.   
  
He'd been forced to watch as Akane-- his uncute, violent, tomboy of a   
  
fiancé-- almost died. Again.  
  
To be perfectly honest, he was still in shock. Everything that had happened...   
  
had happened so fast. The monster approaching Akane as she   
  
helped Shampoo escape-- too stupid and distracted to notice it approaching from   
  
behind her-- that, or lack of skill that prevented her from sensing its presence...  
  
Then again... how could she *not* sense that big ugly monster behind her?   
  
Couldn't she have *smelled* it comin' or something?!  
  
"Akane, you idiot," he muttered softly, watching his fiancé's face intently in   
  
the mirror. "What the hell were you thinking, anyway?"  
  
Ranma took a deep, calming breath. He wasn't sure exactly who he was   
  
more angry at: Akane for being so careless as to almost get killed-- or Gabriel--   
  
for putting them all through hell for a stupid tomboy like Akane...  
  
What in the world did they all see in her, anyway?   
  
It was bad enough that almost every guy at Furinkan wanted her... And   
  
now, to make matters worse, he had to add another brain dead idiot to the list.   
  
And this one wasn't even from the same frickin' dimension!  
  
Because of this, Ranma had arrived at one very simple conclusion: Boys   
  
only liked her because they were thinking with something other than their heads...   
  
What else could it be?! Every single guy that had ever admitted their undying   
  
love to her, had only been met with violence. And yet... THEY KEPT COMING   
  
BACK! What in the world were they thinking?!  
  
Love?   
  
Ha! What a laugh.  
  
Gabriel was just lucky he had saved Akane's life when he did. If he   
  
hadn't stopped the monster from stabbing Akane-- she would be *dead* right   
  
now--  
  
Dead.   
  
The reality hit him like a ton of bricks. On the other hand-- the thought of   
  
losing her to Gabriel hurt just as much...   
  
Although... he couldn't even *begin* to fathom why.  
  
And even if Ranma *was* grateful Gabriel had saved her life, what about   
  
the next time? If he had been even a second later with his blast, the Game would   
  
have been over. Finished. Kaput. *Both* teams would have lost: Not only the   
  
Game, but Gabriel's precious 'prize.'   
  
Ranma found himself fuming in anger the more he thought about how close   
  
Akane had come to being killed. Gabriel, as much as he might boast about his   
  
power, couldn't protect her all the time...   
  
Or could he?   
  
Even *Ranma* hadn't been able to do that!   
  
And what if Gabriel had been here with Ranma arguing, instead of watching   
  
the monster attack Akane? She could very easily have been killed!   
  
Gabriel, of course, would have quickly followed. He didn't care *how*   
  
strong this 'prince of shadows' guy was. If Akane-- or any of the others got hurt--   
  
he'd see to it that he paid... no matter what the cost.  
  
This whole game was one big joke: The circumstances beyond his control.   
  
He hated this. Just HATED it!   
  
He didn't wanna just stand there and watch as Akane and his friends were   
  
tortured mentally-- as well as emotionally-- by having to survive their darkest and   
  
deepest fears. Some things were better left alone and unchallenged. Facing your   
  
fears wasn't *always* for the best.   
  
Another question had been nagging at Ranma ever since they'd arrived in   
  
this strange new world within the Game. Why was Gabriel putting them all through   
  
this in the first place? If he *was* as powerful as he claimed to be, then why didn't   
  
he just *take* Akane?! Why go through all this pointless hassle?   
  
I mean, even if he *had* taken Akane, that wouldn't have stopped him from   
  
going after her... But, at least he'd be on familiar ground. Having to rescue Akane--   
  
now, *that* he was used to. Akane having to rescue everyone else-- well, *that*   
  
he wasn't...  
  
And the worst thing was... he wasn't sure if she was even up to it. If *he*   
  
couldn't even beat Gabriel-- yet-- he reminded himself, then what kind of chance   
  
would Akane have, if any?  
  
With those troubling thoughts, and no answers forthcoming, Ranma turned   
  
his attention back on the mirror, his hands holding it in his iron grip.   
  
Akane would get through this, he assured himself. She had to...  
  
... And he could feel this strong, tearing, pain in his chest. But he was   
  
oblivious to what it meant. He could only watch Akane's troubled face as   
  
she quickly stepped out of Shampoo's nightmare and into the bright hallway   
  
outside the room, the pain in his chest worsening with each passing moment...   
  
She *had* to, he repeated silently.  
  
Keeping his eyes fixed firmly on the mirror, Ranma focused all of his   
  
energy and will power directly on Akane, willing her his strength and skill,   
  
even though he knew it was a futile effort.   
  
"Damn it," he muttered under his breath in frustration. "I REALLY   
  
hate this..."  
  
T * * * G  
  
Akane released a shaky breath as she grabbed a hold of the long table   
  
Shampoo had been strapped against in order to steady herself. "Shampoo?" she  
  
asked softly in a voice barely above a whisper, "Do-- do you know what just   
  
happened?"  
  
Shampoo stepped carefully from off the table, her eyes glued to the   
  
spot where Kuan Hou-ai had been standing only moments before. Her   
  
eyes were red and bloodshot, and her hands shaking.   
  
"Shampoo," Akane asked, her worry lighting her face as she placed a   
  
comforting hand on Shampoo's arm. "Are you alright?"  
  
Shampoo remained silent, hesitant to take her eyes off the floor. "Is-- is   
  
Akane okay?" Shampoo asked softly, lifting her eyes from off the floor to meet   
  
Akane's startled ones.  
  
Akane smiled encouragingly. "Yeah, sure. I'm alright."  
  
Shampoo returned her smile. "Shampoo glad."  
  
"Come on," Akane urged. "We should get out of here, we *are* still on   
  
time limit after all."  
  
Shampoo nodded her head and followed Akane towards the door, its   
  
two-sweet peppermint fragrance filling her senses. "Odd," Shampoo muttered,   
  
more to herself than to Akane. "Is like door Shampoo see as small child in   
  
distant village..."  
  
Akane raised her eyebrow in confusion. "Really? Why didn't you mention   
  
that before?"  
  
Shampoo gave her a dark look. "Shampoo have more important things on   
  
mind."  
  
Akane cleared her throat uncomfortably as she reached for the doorknob.   
  
"Well, are you ready?" she asked.  
  
Shampoo nodded her head. "Shampoo ready," she answered mechanically.  
  
And with that said, Akane opened the door and stepped into the hall.   
  
***  
  
End of Chapter 6  
  
***  
  
Authors Notes  
  
_____________  
  
Questions? Comments? Flames?   
  
Um... don't bother with the Flames though, I'll just ignore them.   
  
I'm not very good with insults.  
  
Special thanks go to my pre-readers, Tom Schauer and Melissa   
  
Cordez who helped me fix A LOT of the mistakes I always make. They   
  
also gave me a lot of useful suggestions and criticism.  
  
Also, Thanks go to Rumiko Takahashi, (for creating the Ranmaverse and   
  
all the wonderful characters in it) and to L.J. Smith (for being one of my favorite   
  
authors and for writing so many wonderful books!)   
  
Finally, thanks go to everyone who e-mailed me with praise or just encouraged   
  
me... or in some cases demanded :) I finish this chapter! I REALLY appreciate it!!!!!   
  
I just love getting your e-mails!   
  
Chapter 7 coming eventually. (Those of you have been waiting months for this   
  
chapter, know *exactly* what I mean...) My excuses: Same reasons. Because of   
  
school and, well... heck, I'm just lazy!  
  
Ja!  
  
____________  
  
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _   
  
The sense of beauty is a tuning fork in  
  
the brain that hums when we stumble on   
  
something beautiful  
  
- David Gelernter  
  
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _   
  
T * * * G  
  
My email/ ICQ:  
  
jewellangela@hotmail.com  
  
26382915  
  
Homepage:  
  
http://www.angelfire.com/ak2/ranma/Game.html  
  
http://www.angelfire.com/ak2/ranma/index.html  
  
T * * * G 


	7. Chapter 7

You asked: I delivered.   
  
So here it is at long last:  
  
Chapter 7 (cue music)  
  
(C&C welcome. Not to mention needed)   
  
----------------------   
  
THE GAME  
  
By: Angela Jewell  
  
----------------------   
  
Based on the trilogy, The Forbidden Game by L.J. Smith   
  
Ranma 1/2 is the property and creation of Rumiko Takahashi, and   
  
whoever else owns it. I'm not making any money off of this so don't   
  
sue me. Besides, good luck if you tried. I'm broke.   
  
*** Volume 1: Spellbound ***   
  
The dark forest never changes-   
  
for it's with me even now   
  
Since the evil in the stories   
  
that I have always read   
  
(safe and sound, warm in my bed)   
  
Now haunt me in my head.   
  
-Unknown   
  
*** Chapter 7 ***   
  
Shampoo and Akane glanced around the brightly lit hallway, troubled expressions   
  
marring their usually calm and collected faces. What now? Akane wondered as she   
  
went over their situation for what seemed the hundredth time.   
  
The narrow hallway had two directions they could go in: Left or right. But which   
  
way was the right one? Letting out a frustrated sigh, Akane ran her fingers through   
  
her hair in exasperation. "All right Shampoo," she sighed. "It looks like we're going  
  
to have to split up. I'll go right and you go left, okay? And if you find _anyone_ stay   
  
put, alright?"   
  
Shampoo nodded her head, her expression grave and determined. "Shampoo understand,"   
  
she replied in earnest. Now that her own nightmare was over, she looked like she could   
  
take on anything.  
  
Akane watched Shampoo's transformation with a mixture of surprise and wonder: The   
  
Amazon was no longer shaking and trembling in fear, instead, she was standing straight and   
  
proud-the way she normally stood. It was almost like the nightmare had never taken place.   
  
Sighing in frustration, not to mention a little envy, Akane turned her eyes away from Shampoo   
  
and towards the wall-the door they had just exited Shampoo's nightmare from having   
  
vanished moments before.   
  
*She* didn't have the luxury of forgetting. _Pretending_ it had never happened was hard   
  
enough. _Forgetting_ about it all together was simply impossible.   
  
"Shampoo off now," the other girl announced. Her eyes were shining and she looked eager   
  
for a fight. "Good luck, Akane," she added indifferently. Without another word, she turned   
  
around and made her way towards her designated hall-her step, sure and confident.   
  
Akane watched as Shampoo's retreating form slowly disappeared from sight; then, with a heavy   
  
step,headed in the opposite direction-not quite as eager to face the next nightmare as her   
  
enthusiastic companion.   
  
T * * * G  
  
Walking down a dark deserted hallway alone was very unnerving. No matter what she said or   
  
did, she couldn't shake the distinct feeling that someone was watching her. Yet every time she'd   
  
stop and look around, the hallway would be empty.   
  
Akane dismissed it as a case of rattled nerves-nothing more-and tried to concentrate on the   
  
situation at hand. There had to be something she could do to take her mind off the hallway and   
  
the invisible eyes. But what?   
  
Then she remembered:  
  
Of course! Gabriel's riddle! He said if she could solve it, he'd let one of them go. And if it could   
  
save any of them from this nightmarish place-well, she *had* to figure it out!   
  
Now... how did it go again?   
  
The riddle replayed itself in her mind…  
  
I am just two and two. I am hot. I am cold.  
  
I'm the parent of numbers that cannot be told.  
  
I'm a gift beyond measure, a matter of course,  
  
And I'm yielded with pleasure-- when taken by force   
  
Akane was at a loss.   
  
What on earth could it mean?   
  
Water? No. That didn't make any sense. How could water be two and two? And she had   
  
never heard of it being yielded with pleasure when taken by force... But what else could it be?   
  
Kicking at the wall with her foot, Akane let out a frustrated sigh. She had always been good with   
  
riddles before, but now, when she needed the answer the most, the answer escaped her.  
  
"Gabriel, you jerk!" she yelled. Before she even realized what she was doing, Akane was curling   
  
her hand into a fist and propelling it towards the nearest wall. It wasn't until she lifted her head   
  
and opened her eyes that she noticed the perfect spider-cracked hole staring back at her.  
  
Akane surveyed it with a look of surprise as she continued facing the wall. With a deep calming   
  
breath, she leaned closer, placing both her hands against it while she rested her head on its cool,   
  
hard surface. "Okay, Akane," she ordered herself loudly, not caring how foolish she sounded   
  
talking to herself. "Just calm down. You can't help anyone if you're mad. So just think.   
  
THINK!"   
  
Pulling herself reluctantly away from the comfort of the wall, she found herself staring at the place   
  
where her fist had connected. Slowly, Akane smiled. "At least some things don't change," she   
  
grinned. "After all, this house can't be too magical if I can just punch a hole through it like back   
  
at home."   
  
Turning away, she continued down the hallway, her mind now racing. What I have to do is   
  
concentrate on the riddle, she reminded herself. After all, if it can save one of them then I have   
  
to solve it.  
  
Now, let's see… What can be taken as well as given? Well, a present could, she supposed-but   
  
there were countless things that could be given as gifts. The trouble was thinking of the right thing…  
  
Knowing Gabriel, it was probably something childishly simple. After all, he obviously expected   
  
her to solve it. Why else would he have given it to her?   
  
Akane shuddered as a sudden thought came to mind: What if he just wanted to infuriate   
  
her further?  
  
No, she thought. That didn't make any sense. He wouldn't give her something he knew she   
  
couldn't solve...   
  
... Would he?   
  
After all, it did seem a little suspicious. Why would he promise to let one of them go if she   
  
could solve some random riddle? She would've thought he'd think of something that would   
  
be more to his advantage-something that would give him an edge over her. After all, he had   
  
a lot to lose if she solved it and nothing at all to gain…  
  
Akane smiled confidently. Well, if Gabriel _was_ planning something, there was no way she   
  
was going to let him get away with it…   
  
Of course, in order to assure that, she had to solve the riddle first.  
  
"So," came a familiar voice, startling her. "How do you like my Game so far?"   
  
Akane turned around in surprise.   
  
Gabriel was there, standing before her.   
  
He looked exactly the same-eerily beautiful-but as dangerous as ever. His arms were crossed   
  
arrogantly over his chest, and he had a smug grin on his face. She could feel the confidence   
  
she'd felt moments earlier, slowly draining from her body.   
  
"I've played better," she replied, trying to sound more indifferent than she felt.  
  
Gabriel nodded, amused.   
  
Akane's eyes quickly looked him up and down, surprised to see that he'd changed clothes.   
  
It was the first time she'd seen him wearing something other than black. The clothes he had   
  
on now were a dark shade of red-a shade she couldn't quite identify: although it looked   
  
suspiciously like a mixture of blood and rust. He wore an earring in his left ear and had the   
  
same snake tattoo on his wrist-only now it had switched places. Somehow it had managed   
  
to go from his right wrist to his left...  
  
Pushing the tattoo to the back of her mind, Akane let her eyes drift over his face-careful to   
  
stop only briefly on his electric blue eyes-unprepared for the shock it would undoubtedly   
  
cause. This, however, turned out to be completely unnecessary. For some reason she   
  
couldn't quite fathom, he was wearing a pair of dark sunglasses in an almost completely   
  
darkened hallway. The only trace of light was the faint, dim, glow thrown by several small   
  
lanterns that were attached to the walls-lanterns which were supposed to light the entire   
  
passage.  
  
Tearing her eyes away from this strange sight, she focused her attention instead on his broad   
  
shoulders, and then allowed her eyes to slowly drift over the rest of him-his strong neck, his   
  
firm jaw-until finally she was looking at his mouth, which at the moment, was curled into an   
  
arrogant grin.  
  
Akane's eyes widened. Wait a minute! she thought frantically. His mouth! His lips! Of course!   
  
How could she not have seen it before? She had it. She had the answer to his riddle!   
  
An amused laugh brought her celebration to a sudden halt as she realized just why Gabriel   
  
was laughing.   
  
"Do you like what you see?" he asked slyly, his grin widening.   
  
Akane blushed, remembering just *where* her attention had been directed. "Of course   
  
not," she replied with a wave of her hand, trying to sound as disgusted with the thought as   
  
she could. "By the way," she continued, returning his smile with one of her own. "I've solved   
  
your riddle."   
  
Gabriel removed his sunglasses. "Is that so..."   
  
Akane grinned triumphantly. "Of course," she replied casually. "And it's *not* yielded with   
  
pleasure when taken by force."   
  
Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?" he asked. "What isn't?"   
  
"A kiss."   
  
Gabriel gave her a seductive smile as he took a step towards her. Akane, not liking the look   
  
in his eyes, took a step back in retaliation.   
  
"So," she began uneasily. "You-you said if I solved your riddle you'd let one of them go..."   
  
Gabriel laughed softly. "Wrong," he replied. "I said if you *gave* me the answer I'd let one   
  
of them go."   
  
Akane stared at him blankly and then her mouth fell open in surprise-the implication of his   
  
words finally sinking in. "You tricked me," she said coldly.   
  
Gabriel shrugged. "Actually, you misinterpreted my words."   
  
Akane glared at him, too angry to speak.   
  
"So," Gabriel continued, taking another step towards her. "Are you ready to give me the   
  
answer? Or are you going to forfeit the one chance I'm giving you to let one of your friends go?"   
  
She could tell from his cocky expression that he already knew what her answer   
  
would be: He thought she was going to give in.  
  
…And was she?  
  
Akane swallowed uncomfortably at the thought.   
  
The fact that everyone was here because of her made this decision all the more difficult. If it   
  
could get one of them out-well, she had to at least consider it. After all, it was just one kiss…   
  
And then she'd never have to do it again.   
  
"Well?" Gabriel prompted. "What's your decision?"  
  
"I-I haven't decided yet," she replied softly. "Besides, even if I do agree, how can I be sure   
  
you'll keep your promise? How can I be sure you'll really let one of them go?"   
  
Gabriel took a confident step towards her and extended his hand, a small red rose held   
  
lightly in his fingers. "Because of this," he replied, holding the rose out for her to take. "This rose   
  
is my promise. It's as binding as a contract."  
  
Akane eyed the flower critically, unsure what to make of it. "So," she broached slowly,   
  
determined to get all of the facts- as strange as they were-correct. "If I take the flower, you have to   
  
do what you promise, right? You can't go back on your   
  
word no matter what?"  
  
Gabriel soundlessly nodded.   
  
"Well, what's it going to be?" he asked again, his patience slowly dwindling as he   
  
twirled the rose between his fingers impatiently. "The clock's ticking you know."   
  
The sound of a grandfather clock screaming its hour echoed throughout the hall;   
  
a piercing reminder.   
  
Akane quickly looked up from the floor, her indecisiveness temporarily forgotten. It wasn't   
  
the tolling of the clock that caught her attention or the knowing look Gabriel was throwing   
  
her way; but faintly, just over the hum of the chimes, she thought she could hear a familiar   
  
disembodied voice calling out to her.   
  
"Kasumi?" she whispered shakily, a cold hard fear gripping her-the time limit completely   
  
forgotten. Akane began to look around, searching desperately for the source of the sound.   
  
"Kasumi?" she repeated, her voice growing louder, more frantic. "Kasumi, where are you?"   
  
Gabriel withdrew his rose, watching Akane with amusement. "You don't have to worry,   
  
you know," he replied. A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his lips.   
  
"She's not in any danger. Well, not yet," he added with a laugh.  
  
  
  
"So, she's alright then?" Akane asked anxiously, looking imploringly at Gabriel. "She's not   
  
hurt?"  
  
Gabriel nodded. "She's alive if that's what you mean. A little confused, but isn't she always?"  
  
"Then why did I just hear her?" Akane demanded, her anger quickly returning. "Where is   
  
she?"  
  
Gabriel sighed in annoyance, his eyebrow slightly twitching. "I've already told you," he replied  
  
impatiently, "She's wandering around the house-waiting for her nightmare to begin. They all are."  
  
"Well, I have to go and find her," Akane replied. Without thinking, she started walking   
  
past Gabriel-headed in the direction her sister's voice had come from.   
  
"Not so fast," said Gabriel, his voice dark with irritation at being ignored.   
  
Almost without warning, the hallway began to get colder, the air heavier, and the light dimmer;   
  
and then a strange mist started to permeate throughout the surrounding room. Akane stopped   
  
dead in her tracks, her body frozen in place. "What in the world do you think you're doing?"   
  
she demanded angrily. Glaring over at Gabriel, she tried in vain to move her arms and legs.   
  
"I believe we were in the middle of an important negotiation," Gabriel replied icily. "Or have   
  
you already forgotten?"   
  
Akane shuddered but said nothing. She could feel the suddenly cold atmosphere of the   
  
hallway-as well as Gabriel's cold stare-seeping into every bone in her body.   
  
"Now," Gabriel continued, giving her a cold smile, his momentary anger disappearing as   
  
quickly as it had come. "I said she's safe. For now," he added. "But that doesn't mean   
  
she won't be in danger later. This of course, brings us back to our original topic of   
  
discussion."  
  
"There's no way I'm kissing you," Akane interrupted. There was one emotion more   
  
powerful than indecision: anger.   
  
"This isn't a decision you want to take lightly," Gabriel warned.   
  
"What makes you think that I am?" she shot back.  
  
Scowling, Gabriel jerked his wrists, motioning towards the nearest wall. Suddenly   
  
Akane found herself thrown against it, her back pressing against its cold surface, as   
  
a loud piercing, ringing began in her head. Gabriel moved in front of her and stretched   
  
out his arms, pinning her to the spot.   
  
Akane stared at him in horror, her anger quickly reverting to fear.  
  
Gabriel's lips curled into a smile, his eyes shining as he watched her. "I told you not to   
  
take this decision lightly," he reminded her, his smile widening. "You'd be wise to reconsider....   
  
I would hate to feel responsible for any unnecessary deaths."  
  
Akane quickly looked away, uncomfortable with the force of his gaze. "This is your   
  
world Gabriel," she said at last, her hands slowly curling into fists at her sides. "Everything that   
  
happens here is your fault. You can't pin everything that happens here   
  
on me-or try to intimidate me into doing what you want."  
  
Gabriel laughed. "Wrong again," he replied, his voice taking on a dangerous edge.   
  
The mist was growing steadily thicker. "You're in my world for a reason, Akane: Remember   
  
that. Everything that happens here could have easily been avoided."   
  
Akane's fists tightened.  
  
"Now," Gabriel continued, a small smile playing across his face. "Are you going   
  
to give me the answer to my riddle or do I need to be a little more persuasive?"  
  
Akane lifted her eyes from the floor. What would he do if she refused again? She   
  
could feel the cold air and mist surrounding her, suffocating her.  
  
"Well?" he prompted. His voice was low and hypnotic-not a trace of impatience left.   
  
She could feel her legs weaken as her mind began to grow hazy-and she closed her  
  
eyes in an attempt to clear her head. "No," she said at last, although her voice was   
  
barely above a whisper and she couldn't quite remember what she was saying no   
  
to.  
  
"Look at me when you say it." Gabriel spoke softly, his voice soothing yet firm. Akane   
  
shook her head slowly, her stubbornness temporarily overpowering her fear.   
  
"Akane," he said again, this time more forcefully. "Look at me."   
  
Akane, despite herself, obeyed.   
  
She wasn't sure what she expected to see when she opened her eyes, but it certainly   
  
wasn't this: Gabriel was holding out another beautiful long-stemmed rose, this one even   
  
more beautiful than the last…   
  
Akane gasped as she watched the mist envelope itself around its petals, unable to tear   
  
her eyes away.   
  
"Here, take it." Gabriel said, smiling as he held it out to her. Akane reached tentatively for   
  
the rose, her eyes wide with wonder. Just before she was about to touch it, however,   
  
Gabriel pulled it back, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "Not so fast," he said, shaking his  
  
finger, "I need something in return first."  
  
Akane stared at him blankly. "Something in return?" she asked.  
  
Gabriel nodded his head slowly as he leaned towards Akane. "Just one kiss," he whispered,   
  
stroking her cheek with the rose. "One kiss and it's yours-just one, and someone can leave."  
  
The mist was growing thicker, the coldness, stifling. "One kiss," she repeated softly, her heart   
  
racing.  
  
Gabriel silently nodded as he withdrew the rose, his fingers lightly tracing the path the rose   
  
had left on her cheek.   
  
Feeling weak in the knees, Akane pressed her hands flat against the wall; trying, uselessly,   
  
to keep herself from collapsing. Within seconds, she had lost the battle and felt her entire   
  
body betray her as she finally sank to her knees, her back completely against the wall.   
  
Gabriel smiled as he kneeled before her. Slowly and gently, he moved the rose to her other   
  
cheek and then began to trail it down the side of her neck. Moments later, she could feel the   
  
slight brush of Gabriel's fingers as they followed the path of his rose-warm and soft against   
  
her skin.  
  
Akane's body felt like it was on fire-every place the rose touched seemed to send shivers   
  
coursing throughout her body. She wasn't sure what to do-all she knew was that she had   
  
to get away from Gabriel. She couldn't think straight when he was so close.   
  
Her body, however, refused to listen, and her eyes, despite herself, kept returning to his lips.  
  
She couldn't think of anything any more… anything except how nice it would feel to have   
  
Gabriel's lips against hers-how warm and how sweet it would taste-and how soft-soft, just   
  
like rose petals…  
  
... Like the rose petals she could feel brushing against her lips at that very moment.   
  
Smiling softly down at her, Gabriel lowered the rose from her lips and gently lifted her chin   
  
with his fingers. His eyes, which were more brilliant than she had ever imagined, slowly began   
  
to close, and she watched helplessly as his head began to move towards her.   
  
Suddenly, something in her head clicked, and Akane felt herself jerk awake, the haze quickly   
  
disappearing. "NO!" she screamed, knocking the rose out of Gabriel's hand, as she simultaneously   
  
pushed him away.  
  
There was no *way* she was going to let Gabriel touch her! Especially not after everything he was   
  
putting them through… her family, her friends, Ranma…   
  
Ranma! "Oh no," she moaned, realizing what she'd almost done. "I can't believe I almost fell for   
  
that!"   
  
She briefly glanced up at Gabriel who was now standing angrily before her, his blue eyes blazing.   
  
"Well," he replied, "Should I take that as a no then?" Akane looked away, slightly embarrassed,   
  
but forced herself to stand up. "Of course it's a no!" she replied hotly, refusing to look him in the   
  
eyes.   
  
A look of annoyance quickly flitted across Gabriel's face but was soon replaced with one of cool   
  
indifference. "Not even to save one of their lives?" he asked again, disbelieving.   
  
Akane shook her head. "It would be the same as giving up," she shot back. "It would be like saying   
  
I don't think I can beat your game, and I will," she vowed. "I'll beat you and this game, and get   
  
everyone out of it safely-*without* your help." She said the last word like it was a bad taste she   
  
wanted to get out of her mouth.   
  
Gabriel shook his head. "You're a fool," he deadpanned.   
  
Akane shrugged carelessly. "Maybe... but if you thought I would give in to you so easily, then you   
  
don't know me as well as you claim to."   
  
  
  
Gabriel frowned in consternation as he abruptly walked past Akane. "One of them *will* die," he   
  
reminded her as he opened a door in a wall that hadn't been there before. "You'd be wise to   
  
remember that, Akane," he warned.   
  
Without another word Gabriel stepped inside the door, slamming it shut behind him.   
  
Curling her hand into a fist at her side, Akane drove it angrily into the nearest wall, releasing all her  
  
pent up anger and frustration. "That stupid jerk!" she yelled. Tears were beginning to fall from   
  
her eyes, despite her best effort to hold them back.  
  
Akane wiped her tear-stained face dry with her sleeve and continued down the hallway,   
  
determined more than ever to find another person. All she wanted now was to leave   
  
Gabriel and this nightmarish, twisted, world behind forever.  
  
T * * * G  
  
It felt like she had been walking forever. Her eyes, which had quickly   
  
adjusted to the darkness of the hall, were now growing tired and sore.   
  
Her impatience and anger, however, never wavered-and the more time   
  
she spent wandering the same narrow hallway without a trace of anyone,   
  
the more frustrated she found herself becoming. She had to find someone…   
  
and she had to find them fast. The longer she walked, the more time she   
  
could feel slipping through her fingers.  
  
"Is anyone out there?" she yelled again, her voice now growing hoarse. "Can   
  
anyone hear me?"   
  
Ignoring the scratching feeling in her throat, Akane took another deep breath,   
  
cupped her hands around her mouth and tried yelling again as loud as she could.   
  
"HEELLLOOOO?!"  
  
"Heeelllooo!!"   
  
Akane stopped dead in her tracks.   
  
  
  
The voice that answered her, for once, wasn't her own.   
  
She scanned the length of the hallway, her eyes straining, searching for anyone   
  
or anything that didn't resemble the familiar shape of the hanging lanterns. And then,   
  
she saw it: further down the hallway was the faint outline of a person. At least…   
  
she _thought_ it was a person. From this distance, it looked more like a blurry,   
  
indistinguishable blob.  
  
Without a second thought Akane began to run. Within moments, the blurry figure   
  
had taken shape and the distinct outline of a person could clearly be distinguished. It took   
  
even less time to realize that the other person was running towards her too-  
  
someone who was wearing a big, giant spatula strapped to their back. Akane smiled, relieved.   
  
"Ukyo!" she shouted, waving.  
  
Finally, Ukyo and Akane came face to face, both girls breathing heavily. Ukyo bent down   
  
and placed her hands on her knees, fighting to catch her breath. "Hey there, Sugar," she replied,   
  
straightening up. "So… where is everyone? I've been running around forever!"  
  
Akane smiled, relieved to have found someone at last. "So far I've only been able to find Shampoo.   
  
But after we finished her nightmare, we split up and started looking for everyone. And you're the   
  
first one I've found."  
  
"Nightmare?" Ukyo asked in surprise, "You mean it's really true? We actually have to go through   
  
with these crazy things?"   
  
"Yeah, unfortunately," she replied, frowning. It didn't take her long to fill Ukyo in on Gabriel's  
  
Game, Shampoo's horrible nightmare, and the resulting time limit-although she purposely left   
  
out certain details about her and Gabriel's several encounters. After all, she didn't want her to   
  
get the wrong idea …  
  
Ukyo listened quietly to every word, her eyes intense and focused. By the end of it, however,   
  
she looked disgusted and livid with anger. "That stupid creep!" she replied, gripping the   
  
handle of her spatula tightly. "He better not come near me or I'll knock him unconscious!"   
  
Akane shook her head regretfully. "I'm afraid your spatula wouldn't do much good," she   
  
replied. "He's much more powerful than anyone we've ever faced before. Even Ranma   
  
couldn't beat him."  
  
"Poor Ran-Chan," Ukyo sighed. Unconsciously, the grip on her spatula loosened.   
  
"He's probably worried sick about me! Have you seen him at all since he disappeared?"  
  
"No," Akane replied, trying hard to ignore Ukyo's last comment. "But Gabriel said he's   
  
in the attic somewhere, so he'll probably be the last one we find."  
  
"Well, I doubt that!" said Ukyo, smiling proudly. "I'm sure Ran-chan will make Gabriel   
  
pay for what he's putting us through! Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if Ran-Chan   
  
managed to get away and came walking down this hallway this very minute!"  
  
"Nihao!" a loud, cheerful voice exclaimed. Ukyo felt a tap on the shoulder, and turned   
  
around to see Shampoo standing behind her. "Oh, it's you," she said unenthusiastically,   
  
disappointment clear on her face.  
  
"Shampoo!" Akane exclaimed, for once glad to see the Amazon. "Did you just get   
  
here too?"   
  
The Chinese Amazon nodded. "Shampoo glad she finds you."  
  
"Did you find Ran-Chan?" Ukyo asked hopefully.   
  
"No find Ranma," she replied, shaking her head. "But Shampoo find door!"  
  
"Really?" Akane asked excitedly. She hadn't seen a door since Gabriel managed to   
  
conjure one out of thin air after their latest encounter.  
  
Shampoo nodded her head emphatically. "Yes. Door back that way," she said,   
  
motioning in the direction she had just come from.   
  
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Akane asked, relieved to be one step closer to   
  
defeating Gabriel. Shampoo nodded her head as she led the way; Ukyo trailed close   
  
behind, although a bit hesitantly.   
  
It didn't take very long for them to reach their destination. "This door wasn't here a   
  
minute ago," Ukyo said, looking suspiciously at the entrance that stood before them.  
  
"This whole place is like this," said Akane, turning her gaze to Ukyo. "Everything   
  
shifts and changes."  
  
"Then how do we know this isn't a door that we've already come through?"  
  
Shampoo shrugged. "Is one way find out."  
  
Ukyo stood off to the side and watched nervously as Shampoo placed her hand   
  
on the doorknob; Akane stood in a defensive position, prepared to attack if anything   
  
happened to jump out at them. Then the door was swung open.  
  
  
  
Akane gasped in surprise.   
  
Inside the door was a deep lush forest.   
  
Ukyo took a deep breath as she walked slowly towards the open door, hesitant to   
  
enter. Shampoo surveyed her rival contemptuously. "Ukyo afraid of forest? Is for real?"  
  
Ukyo glared angrily at the Amazon and removed her giant spatula from its safety   
  
harness, holding it before her in a threatening gesture. "And I suppose being afraid of some   
  
legendary monster is better, huh?"  
  
"Come on, you guys," Akane said, stepping between the two. "This is really no   
  
time for a fight. We really need to get going." Akane turned towards Ukyo, her voice taking   
  
on an authority that would have made Nabiki proud. "So what did you draw, Ukyo? I   
  
guess it's safe to assume that a monster wasn't part of your nightmare, right?"  
  
  
  
Ukyo nodded her head. "That's right. No monster in these woods…"  
  
"Well that's good then, isn't it?" Akane asked, smiling. "So what are battling   
  
this time?" she asked, her voice turning grave. "An evil gremlin, a cursed genie,   
  
some evil Okonomiyaki chef you've had a grudge with since childhood?"  
  
Ukyo shook her head. "No, no. Nothing like that," she sighed.  
  
"Well then, what is it?" Akane asked, growing impatient. "What did you draw for   
  
your nightmare?"  
  
Shampoo crossed her arms against her chest haughtily. "Is obvious what Ukyo most   
  
afraid of."  
  
Ukyo and Akane glanced at each other in surprise then looked back at Shampoo. "Oh,   
  
so you know me so well, do you?" Ukyo asked sarcastically, crossing her hands against   
  
her chest in contempt. "Then please, enlighten us."  
  
"Ukyo afraid Ranma choose Shampoo. Is obvious."  
  
Ukyo laughed softly. "Where did you get that stupid idea? It's obvious Ranma-honey   
  
loves me. Why would I be afraid of losing him to some hot-headed hussy like you?"  
  
Shampoo narrowed her violet eyes. "Ukyo best be careful," she replied, her words   
  
sharp like ice. "Before _Shampoo_ become Ukyo worst nightmare."  
  
Ukyo tightened her grip on her spatula as she took a menacing step towards Shampoo.  
  
"Well, then," she replied, smiling. "This is one nightmare I'm going to enjoy beating to a pulp."  
  
  
  
"That's enough!" Akane shouted, placing herself once more in between the two angry rivals.   
  
"We don't have time for this! We're on a TIME LIMIT remember?! And we STILL have   
  
to find Kasumi, Nabiki, Ryoga and Ranma before we can get out of here! We don't have   
  
TIME for stupid fights!"  
  
Shampoo and Ukyo lowered their heads sheepishly.   
  
Shampoo broke the uneasy silence by speaking first. "Akane right. Shampoo no want   
  
be stuck in shadow world forever. Is important to know what we fight against."   
  
Akane looked at Ukyo expectantly. "Come on, Ukyo. We need to know."  
  
Ukyo looked down at the floor, avoiding her eyes.  
  
"Fine," Akane replied, her patience gone. "If you're not going to tell us then I guess   
  
we'll have to find out for ourselves." With a resolute step she began to make her way into the forest.   
  
Shampoo nodded. "We no get anywhere standing in doorway."  
  
Ukyo nodded as she slowly began to follow them, soft dirt crunching beneath the   
  
soles of her feet. Suddenly, with a deafening bang, the door slammed shut behind them, causing   
  
all three girls to turn around in surprise. Ukyo quickly ran back to the door, trying in vain to   
  
reopen it as Akane looked on helplessly. "Is no use," Shampoo explained, watching with an   
  
air of disdain.   
  
Ukyo leaned against the door dejectedly, her eyes glancing around the forest uneasily.   
  
"What are we suppose to do if we have to get out of here?"   
  
Akane sighed, feeling guilty despite herself. "Sorry. Guess we should have warned   
  
you this would happen."   
  
"Only time door open is when Ukyo beat nightmare. *If* Ukyo beat nightmare,"   
  
Shampoo added snidely.  
  
"Anyway Ukyo," Akane said, glaring at Shampoo, "what was it about this forest   
  
that made you pick it for your nightmare? I always thought you were comfortable in the woods…   
  
With all the training you do and everything."  
  
Ukyo slowly moved away from the door, her eyes tired and worried. "Well, to be honest,   
  
I'm not really afraid of the woods. I *did* draw a forest, true, but it's only because   
  
I couldn't think of anything else to draw. That's why I'm a little worried. I have   
  
no idea what's ahead."  
  
Movement came from within the woods, and everyone stopped, stiffening.  
  
"Well, whatever your nightmare is," Akane said softly, "I have a feeling we're about   
  
to find out."  
  
***  
  
End of Chapter 7  
  
***  
  
Authors Notes  
  
____________  
  
Questions? Comments? Flames?   
  
Um... don't bother with the Flames though, I'll just ignore them.   
  
I'm not very good with insults.   
  
Now to give credit where credit is due: Thanks go to Rumiko   
  
Takahashi, (for creating the Ranmaverse and all the wonderful characters in   
  
it), and to L.J. Smith (for being one of my favorite authors and for   
  
writing so many of her wonderful books!)  
  
I've been working on this chapter for so long, I haven't even started the next   
  
one yet. But please, bear with me. I promise to get this story done eventually…   
  
Ja!  
  
____________  
  
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _   
  
The only thing that defines reality  
  
is our perception of it  
  
-Daniel Beauchamp  
  
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _   
  
  
  
T * * * G  
  
MY E-MAIL/ ICQ:  
  
ajewell@nmu.edu  
  
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T * * * G 


	8. Chapter 8

(C&C welcome. Not to mention needed)

----------------------  
THE FORGOTTEN GAME  
By: Angela Jewell  
----------------------

Based on the trilogy, The Forbidden Game by L.J. Smith

Ranma 1/2 is the property and creation of Rumiko Takahashi, and whoever else owns it. I'm not making any money off of this so don't sue me. Besides, good luck if you tried. I'm broke.

Volume 1: Spellbound

I long for the warmth of days gone by  
When you were mine  
But now those days are memories in time  
Life's empty without you by my side  
My heart belongs to you  
No matter what I try

--Boyz II Men

CHAPTER 8

Nobody made a sound. Everyone's eyes were glued to the thick underbrush of the forest, their bodies frozen in place. An eerie stillness had long-since settled over the woods, and they had to strain their ears, listening for any sound. They stood that way for awhile: no one speaking, no one breathing. After several minutes of uneasy silence—moments that seemed to stretch on much longer—Ukyo finally spoke. Her voice shook slightly as she turned her head to glance in their direction. "You guys did hear that, right?"

Shampoo and Akane silently nodded.

"What on Earth was it?" she asked. A faint hint of panic had seeped into her voice, despite her best efforts to control it.

"How we know, stupid?" Shampoo replied sharply. "Is your nightmare."

"Well, whatever it was," said Akane quickly, hoping to prevent a fight, "I think it's gone now so we should probably get moving. We're not going to get anywhere just standing around."

Shampoo nodded. "Akane right," she replied, throwing a look of contempt in Ukyo's direction, who glared back. "Need enter forest, is only way find Ukyo nightmare." Without another word, she began walking towards the woods, not bothering to see if they were following behind her. Akane and Ukyo glanced at each other and shrugged, then began to walk after the Amazon.

They walked carefully, pushing bushes, and branches, and leaves aside as they continued to move further. Their senses were stretched to their limits; their eyes and ears straining for the faintest of sounds. But no matter how long they listened, or how hard they concentrated, they were met with silence.

Akane glanced around, feeling uneasy. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something seemed wrong...

Shampoo, who was walking several feet in front of the others, suddenly stopped, bringing them to an abrupt halt behind her. "Forest seem strange," she said after several moments, looking around.

Ukyo nodded. "Yeah, I felt that too," she replied, glancing around the area.

Akane walked over to the nearest tree and leaned against it, closing her eyes. She held them firmly shut as she allowed her thoughts to wander, her mind searching for what her eyes refused to let her see. Why was it so quiet? she wondered. Ever since they heard that strange sound, she hadn't heard a thing: no birds, no animal movements or calls—even the sound of wind blowing through the trees was absent. The forest sounded deserted, almost . . . abandoned. There was nothing here.

"You know what it is?" she said at last, opening her eyes to look at her companions. "There aren't any sounds. Aside from that strange noise we heard in the bushes, I haven't heard a thing...."

Ukyo gasped. "You're right!" she said, sounding excited. "I haven't even heard any animals now that you mention it!"

As if in protest a familiar sound echoed throughout the forest. Akane heard Shampoo mutter something in mandarin and Ukyo took a deep breath. It was the same sound they had heard earlier when they had first entered through the door . . . Only this time it was louder and closer than before.

Ukyo withdrew her spatula, holding it defensively before her. "Who's there?" she demanded, her eyes scanning the surrounding area.

Just as suddenly, the noise reverberated around them, only this time it was accompanied by the faint sound of movement in the bushes. Three heads turned in unison, staring at the place where the sound had originated. There before them stood a small group of trees, their leaves forming a thick canopy above them. As if that sight wasn't strange enough, beneath those sat several large, wide bushes which seemed to enclose the entire area, giving it the illusion of a gateway. The strangest thing, however, was the fact that the bushes were a bright, unnatural shade of red.

Akane idly wondered how they could have possibly missed it before. The entire scene looked so unnatural and out of place that it would have been impossible to pass without causing suspicion.

All three martial artists walked towards it, hesitant as they pushed through the strange, red bushes: On the other side was a large green clearing.

Everyone stopped dead in their tracks.

There, a few feet away, was a dirty, beat up old cart.

Ukyo gasped in surprise, her voice filled with fear and awe as she approached it. "I—I don't believe it," she said, her eyes wide as she walked closer. "This is my old Okonomiyaki cart." Falling to her knees, Ukyo grabbed a handful of leaves off the ground and slowly began to wipe away the dirt and grime. "See," she exclaimed, pointing to the faded kanji that was written on the side. "It's our family name."

Akane moved closer to examined the cart. "Are you saying that this is the same one that Mr. Saotome and Ranma stole?"

Ukyo nodded.

Akane bent down to take a closer look. "But that doesn't make any sense," she said, looking closely at the black, discolored kanji. "I thought they lost it or left it in a gutter somewhere?"

Ukyo shrugged helplessly.

"_Real_ cart still in gutter," Shampoo interrupted, kneeling beside them. "We not in real world: In Shadow Man's."

Akane, despite herself, shivered. Just the mere mention of Gabriel's name made her angry... and, she hated to admit, a little confused. She hated him: she knew that. And yet, a part of her—a very _small_ part—couldn't help feeling drawn to him. It was that small detail that angered her the most.

"This no coincidence," Shampoo firmly added, turning to meet their gazes. "Cart here for reason."

T G

Ranma, meanwhile, was still in the attic.

He was sitting completely motionless, the mirror clutched tightly in his hands. The surface of the glass had long since darkened, leaving behind only faint lingering images. His expression was grim and angry and his knuckles were white. But still, his tight grip on the handle never loosened.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get that vision out of his mind: Akane, leaning against the wall; Gabriel leaning over her as he caressed her with that damned rose—his lips _so_ close to hers they might as well have been kissing.

But they didn't, he reminded himself. _Akane _didn't. He felt some of the anger slowly drain away at that realization. But not all of it. Just because Akane was able to resist this time didn't mean Gabriel wouldn't use some other method to get what he wanted. And he knew Akane wouldn't be able to stop him if he ever decided to get serious. Hell, he couldn't even beat him... at least not yet.

Unlike Akane, Ranma's true strength came from his ability to learn from his mistakes and adapt: he never lost twice. And as soon as Gabriel came within 10 feet of him, he'd _show_ him just what he was capable of. He flexed his hands as he grinned.

Besides, he always loved a challenge.

Turning his attention once more on the mirror, he concentrated, willing Akane's face to come into focus. Then, he watched.

T G

The cart, no matter how long they looked at it, remained a silent enigma: it offered no answers and only created more questions. Even a swift kick by Akane had heralded no results.

"So, what happens now?" Ukyo asked at last, finally moving away from her dowry. "Is the cart going to do a transformer number and try to kill us all, or something?"

Akane shook her head and Shampoo scoffed.

"I don't think so," Akane replied, looking intently at the cart. "I don't think the cart itself is your nightmare, if that's what you mean. If it was, something would have happened by now. But I'm _sure_ it's related in some way, we just have to figure out how."

"Okay. So how do we find out?"

"No _we_." said Shampoo, her patience waning. "_You_ figure out, stupid. How we know?"

Akane could see the angry battle aura surround Ukyo as she glared hatefully at the Amazon. "That's easy for you to say you, you—" Akane quickly stepped between the two, once again playing mediator. "Look you guys," she said, glaring from one girl, to the other. "You can fight all you want, but it won't get us anywhere."

"If Ukyo in grave faster, then is worth it. One less obstacle." Shampoo smiled icily as Ukyo glared in reply.

"Honestly! I don't have time for this!" Akane screamed. Before she even realized what she was doing, she had thrown an angry punch with her right hand at the cart. Although she hadn't used all of her strength, it was still enough to cause a small dent. Shampoo looked on, slightly impressed. Akane, oblivious, went on. "Have you guys forgotten what's at stake here?" she asked, her voice low and serious. "Maybe neither of you has much to lose, but my sisters are out there! I don't have time to sit back and watch you both waste the little time we do have, arguing and fighting."

Both had the good sense to look embarrassed.

"Now," she continued, taking a deep, calming breath. "I say we take a look around the area, okay? After all, _something_ led us here and it sure wasn't the cart. If we can just find whoever, or whatever made that sound earlier, then maybe we can figure out how to get out of here."

"Right," Ukyo agreed, trying to sound cheerful, but failing. "Besides, who knows, maybe my nightmare was getting lost in a forest."

Akane tried to smile faintly in reply. Somehow she knew it wasn't going to be that easy....

T G

The girls continued circling the unfamiliar terrain. Although they were impatient to find someone—anything, in order to get this nightmare over and done with, they all knew it was better to be cautious and careful, rather than eager and careless. It was that thought alone which prevented them from yelling out in frustration every time they found themselves back at the red-bushed gateway.

It wasn't until the fifth time, however—once they'd found themselves standing before the strange clearing yet again, that they finally threw themselves down on the ground in defeat.

"Is hopeless," Shampoo said, sighing in frustration. "We look all over forest, and still we end up here."

Ukyo kicked the dirt at her feet. "I hear ya," she said, nodding. "I had no idea my nightmare would be so boring."

"There's got to be some kind of connection," said Akane, once again looking around the area, only to come to rest once more on the cart. "It can't be a coincidence that every time we left, we came back to this exact spot."

Shampoo and Ukyo nodded, but both looked beaten and indifferent at the revelation. They were still no closer to solving this nightmare than when they had first found the small clearing.

"Okay, Ukyo" Akane replied, her voice firm and hard. "Spill it. We have to know what it is you drew for your nightmare. Walking around isn't getting us anywhere and we're wasting time. We won't laugh at you no matter what your nightmare is, I promise." Akane threw a warning glare at the Amazon. "Right, Shampoo?"

Shampoo nodded. "We no make fun," she assured Ukyo, the contempt and hatred at last gone from her voice. "We call truce, yes? Shadow Man enemy now."

Ukyo nodded at Shampoo and smiled. Then, turning to Akane, took a long deep breath. "Alright, I suppose it's only fair," she replied. "The reason I kept putting it off in the first place was because I knew that it would affect you two as well." She looked at them apologetically, and then turned her gaze once more to the ground. "And I guess—I guess I thought that if I didn't say it, if I didn't admit it, that it wouldn't happen. And, I know you must think it's actually been working since we haven't found much, but the truth is, it _hasn't_." Ukyo paused, and released the breath she had been holding. "Yes, I drew a forest," she said, grimly. "And the cart really is a part of my nightmare—a small part—but the fact is, that this," Ukyo said, motioning towards her beaten up, abandoned cart, "is _not_ what I **_drew_**."

Akane looked at her in confusion. "You mean, you drew a forest, but that isn't really your nightmare?"

Ukyo nodded. "There's no way I could've really drawn my deepest, darkest fear," she explained, looking once more at her cart. "So, I just drew a picture of a forest instead. After all, I didn't really think everyone was going to put down their _real_ weaknesses for everyone to see. Of course," Ukyo laughed bitterly. "I never dreamed we'd actually have to live out these fears. ... but I guess the Shadow Man knew that. That's why I've felt so uneasy ever since I saw the cart."

Akane's mouth fell open in surprise, as comprehension slowly began to sink in. There was only one thing that could affect both her and Shampoo, as well as Ukyo, and that was a certain pig-tailed martial artist. "Does the cart have anything to do with Ranma?" she asked softly.

Ukyo nodded. "You got it, Sugar. Of course, there's more to it than that, but essentially, I don't want to lose Ran-chan."

"And that's part of the reason the cart appeared?"

"Yeah." Ukyo looked sadly at her missing dowry. "I knew that if I had it back, that I would lose my claim on him and—and you have to understand," she said, looking straight at Akane. "My entire life was dedicated to defeating Ranma and Genma. I continued cooking, I perfected my art, all so that I would be able to get revenge on them for abandoning me. They cost me so much," she said softly, "so much, and yet, when I saw him again, after he called me cute..." Ukyo shook her head. "I just couldn't stay mad at him anymore: I didn't want too."

Shampoo looked at the ground and smiled knowingly. "Ranma have that effect on people."

Ukyo blushed and nodded. "That's why I can't lose him," she said, turning her gaze once more on Akane. Her tone was cold and hard, no longer reminiscent and soft as it had been a moment ago, and Akane felt uncomfortable under the intensity of her gaze. "I won't." Ukyo added resolutely.

After her declaration, the three girls sat in silence, each unsure of what to say. Even though Akane now knew what Ukyo's nightmare was, for some reason she didn't feel relieved, or any better prepared.

Suddenly, the Amazon stood up and began to stretch. "What we do now?" she asked, looking at the two girls beside her. "Ukyo tell nightmare, but still we here. Why door no appear?"

"Aren't you forgetting?" Akane said softly as she got up to stand as well. "Knowing your nightmare isn't enough." She looked sadly at Shampoo and then turned her gaze once more on Ukyo. "She has to live it."

Ukyo shivered.

"Don't worry," Akane said, as she took the Chef's hand. "We'll be here to help you thru it. You just need to remember that it's not real... if you remember that, then you'll be fine."

Ukyo tried to smile. "Thanks," she said softly, all emotion gone from her voice. "But I think the two of you are the last people I'll want to see when it happens." Any response was cut short as all three girls suddenly turned their attention to the strange red bushes.

The familiar sound of rustling leaves could be heard from the underbrush, and suddenly the outline of a figure appeared, emerging from the thicket. Ukyo quickly removed her spatula, as Akane and Shampoo moved into defensive positions. Just as quickly, however, Ukyo was lowering her weapon, even as Shampoo and Akane were taking a step back in surprise.

Before them stood a blue-eyed martial artist wearing a red-chinese shirt. His hair was pulled into a tight pigtail and he was smiling as he continued to walk closer.

"Hey," he said, grinning. "So, what'd I miss?"

"Ranma!" Shampoo and Ukyo wasted no time. Both girls ran excitedly towards the martial artist, their faces flushed with joy. Akane, however, remained standing where she was.

"Ranma-honey, it's really you!" Ukyo grabbed a hold of his arm, her heart racing, while Shampoo grabbed a hold of the other. "Ranma come looking for Shampoo, yes?" the Amazon asked hopefully.

Ranma smiled as he took turns looking back and forth between Shampoo and Ukyo. "Of course it's me," he said with a laugh; turning his attention back to Shampoo, he winked. "And who else would I be looking for?" he asked. Neither noticed that he looked directly past them and at Akane after saying it.

But unlike her oblivious comrades, Akane wasn't fooled.

She wasn't quite sure how Shampoo and Ukyo could be so easily tricked—hadn't they just been talking about Ukyo's nightmare? This was obviously the beginning of it. And couldn't they _tell_ that wasn't Ranma just by _looking_ at him? After all, her fiancée didn't have eyes like that...

What was Gabriel up to this time, she wondered.

"How did you escape the attic?" Ukyo asked, as both girls led Ranma further into the clearing.

The Ranma imposter made a dismissive gesture with his hand. "Aw, you know me," he said arrogantly, "No place can hold me for long." Ukyo grinned and nodded her head knowingly, clinging tightly to his arm.

Akane raised an eyebrow. Well, she thought, unimpressed. Gabriel certainly had Ranma's character down...

"How you find us, Ranma?" Shampoo asked. "Door close behind after we enter: you find new door?"

Ranma shook his head. "I was already here," he said, shrugging. "I found the door you guys came through earlier, and was lookin' around. Then, when I saw all of you coming in after me, I hid."

"So _you_ were the one we heard in the bushes," Ukyo replied happily. "What a relief. But why'd you hide?"

"Guess I was kinda jumpy after the whole cat thing," he said. "I had to make sure it was really you, an not some sorta trap or illusion."

Akane almost laughed. For a moment she considered telling Shampoo and Ukyo the truth, but in the end decided against it. This had to be Ukyo's nightmare: she was sure of it. And if she told Ukyo it wasn't really Ranma, she might jeopardize their chances of ever getting out of this accursed forest.

For now she would just watch and wait.

"So, whose nightmare is this, anyhow?" Ranma asked, looking between Shampoo and Ukyo. "I didn't know either of you were afraid of trees?" Ukyo punched him playfully as she laughed.

"Silly," she said, smiling. "We're in mine. But luckily, it doesn't look like it's going to come true."

"Huh? How do ya figure?"

"Because," she told him cheerfully. "You made it here. Nothing could possibly happen when you're here to protect me." She sighed dreamily as she leaned her head on his arm.

"So, _Ranma_," Akane said, sounding out his name carefully. "Do _you_ know when the nightmare's going to start?"

Ranma smiled. "I'm sure something will happen very soon, don't worry."

Ha! Don't worry, he says, she thought with a laugh. Easy for him to say....

Moments later, as if in response to his words, Akane suddenly felt the ground beneath her feet begin to shake and tremble. It was slight at first—hardly any movement at all—but it wasn't long before the speed and force began to pick up, and she found herself thrown to the ground, the forest moving unnaturally all around her. Akane craned her neck, searching for Ukyo and Shampoo. They were lying across the clearing, several feet from where Gabriel had been; and the more the ground shook, the further apart they seemed to get. Akane tried to sit up—to climb back to her feet—but found herself unable to stand.

"What's happening?" she yelled in frustration. She never expected this to be part of the nightmare.

"I don't know!" the disembodied voice of Ukyo answered. "but I can't move!"  
  
Akane turned to look at Shampoo who nodded in agreement. Suddenly, she remembered Gabriel, and scanned the area: but he was no where to be seen... and the more she tried to concentrate, the dizzier, and weaker she found herself becoming. She shut her eyes tightly, trying to shut out the spinning movement that was going on all around her.

What happened next occurred quickly and without warning: one moment the forest was spinning around them, and the next, it had stopped—like a car slamming on the brakes. And when she finally opened her eyes again, they were no longer in the forest...

All around them was an impenetrable darkness. 

The voice that came was soft and confused, and Akane turned to see Ukyo standing beside her. "What—? Where are we?" she asked, sounding uncertain and frightened. "And where did Ran-chan go?"

Akane strained her eyes, searching for any sign of Gabriel. "I—I don't know," she replied, equally confused. She had _thought_ he'd stick around until the end—most likely to play on Ukyo's fear of losing Ranma—she definitely hadn't expected him to completely disappear on them... especially not so soon. On the other hand, she could barely make out the faint outline of Shampoo who was only lying a few feet away; it wouldn't be surprising if Gabriel was simply hiding in the shadows, watching them....

"Are you okay, Shampoo?" Akane asked, turning to the Amazon.

Shampoo nodded as she climbed shakily to her feet. "Why we no in forest," she asked, looking around. "And where Husband?"

Akane and Ukyo shrugged, as lost and confused as her.

The Amazon was silent for several long moments, until suddenly—unexpectedly—she fell to her knees. Akane and Ukyo were at her side in moments, fear and confusion written across their faces. "Shampoo?! What's happening? What's wrong?"

The girl remained silent, her head hanging down as she slowly began to disappear right in front of them, her body merging with the surrounding darkness.

"Ukyo!" Akane turned to the Okonomiyaki chef, her eyes wide. "It's happening—your nightmare! It's started!"

Ukyo shook her head, tears forming in her eyes. "No," she replied. "This wasn't part of it. You—you and Shampoo—you guys weren't in it. This is something else."

Akane stepped closer and grabbed a hold of her rival, forcing her to look at her. "Ukyo, this is only part of it! If Shampoo disappears, then I know I'll be next... whatever your fear is, you have to face it."

Ukyo looked around, her eyes wide and frightened, and Akane softened her voice. "I'm not sure what this has to do with your dream, or what'll happen here after I disappear: but I know that if you don't face it, or overcome it, there's a good chance you'll end up trapped here—or worse."

Ukyo and Akane turned to look helplessly at Shampoo, who seconds later, disappeared completely from sight, the image of her large, defiant eyes forever engraved in their minds. Ukyo continued to stare at the place where her rival had sat—now a black, empty space.

"I don't know how to stop it," she said softly, a hint of panic seeping into her voice. "I don't know how to fight this."

"Ukyo..."

"If Ranma was still here," she said suddenly, wishfully. "If he was here, he'd know what to do."

Akane hung her head sadly, until a voice from the shadows interrupted. "What makes you think that?" it said.

Akane and Ukyo turned to look at their speaker who was standing half in and half out of the surrounding shadows—Akane knew who it was the moment she heard him speak.

"Ran-chan?" Ukyo asked, leaning forward to peer into the unwelcoming shadows. Her heart swelled with hope as she saw the faint outline of the figure standing still before them.

"Ukyo, that isn't Ranma," Akane whispered.

The Okonomiyaki chef turned confused eyes in her direction, and then laughed. "Of course it is," she replied. "He probably just got thrown over there when the ground started shaking..."

"No, Ukyo, it's not," Akane insisted.

"Don't be silly," Ukyo replied, standing up. She turned to look at her fiancée who seemed to blend into the shadows surrounding him. "Ranma-honey, you've been listening, haven't you?" she asked, her voice shaking. "Well, if you have, you've got to help me. Just—just promise you'll never leave me—that you'll always be by my side, and I'm sure I can beat this." She paused as she took another step forward, and then continued in a small, low voice, "Please, Ranma! If I don't lose you, then I can win..."

"Okay," the voice said, emerging at last from the shadows. "Oh, dear Ukyo," he said, his voice loud and mocking as he walked towards her. "I will love you forever and never leave you: you're the only girl for me. In fact, I'd be all too happy to give Akane to the Shadow Man—then we can be together for the rest of our lives, and live happily—ever—after." He stopped before a surprised, angry Ukyo, and smiled. "Was that alright?" Gabriel asked, laughing.

Ukyo's mouth fell open in surprise; then embarrassment, until finally it settled on anger. She took a step back as she watched the Shadow Man suspiciously, her eyes narrowed. "What are you doing here?" she demanded, her hand moving unconsciously to the hilt of her spatula. "And what did you do with Ran-chan?"

Gabriel smiled and shrugged. "Sorry," he said, shrugging. "But I'm afraid he was never here. I was just having a little fun," he said with a wink.

Ukyo's grip on the spatula tightened. She was trying her best to resist the urge to pound the grinning jerk before her into the ground. She turned away quickly, lest her anger get the better of her. "Akane, did you know about—"her words died in her throat as she turned to look over at her on-again, off-again rival, only to see her kneeling on the ground, her head down—the hands that were out before her, slowly fading in and out of sight.

"Akane... oh no..."

The young martial artist smiled faintly in reply as her sad, apologetic eyes faded completely from view. Ukyo stood by, powerless, watching as Akane disappeared just like Shampoo. When she was completely gone, she turned angrily to Gabriel.

"What's happening?" she demanded, stepping towards him. "Where did they go?"

He smiled and shrugged. "That would spoil the fun," he replied.

Ukyo's eyes narrowed in fury as she unleashed her spatula, holding it out before her threateningly. Gabriel winked. "I'm afraid that's my cue to leave," he told her. "Good luck with your nightmare. You'll need it." And then he too was gone.

T G

Ranma in the attic, his eyes trained on the mirror, watched Ukyo as she stood alone in the darkness. He wasn't sure what was going on... but he knew it must have something to do with Ucchan's nightmare.

His confusion and worry, however, didn't last long. Before he could sense something was strange or out of place, he found himself suddenly growing dizzy, and putting a hand to his eyes, he closed them, looking away briefly from the glass mirror.

That moment was all the time Gabriel needed.

When Ranma opened his eyes, he was still in darkness... but standing before him was Ukyo.

T G

A loud roar reverberated throughout the room, and Ukyo turned. She stood completely still, suddenly afraid. She wasn't sure what she'd see—what to expect... and then she heard him:

"Ukyo?!"

Her eyes widened, and her heart sped up as she saw Ranma standing before her. His clothing were torn, his hair disheveled, and he looked almost as confused as she was.

"Ranma?" she asked. "Is—is it really you?"

"Come on, Ukyo," he complained. "You wouldn't fall for another fake me, wouldya?"

Ukyo's mouth fell open in surprise. "How did you—"

Ranma's eyes grew cold and angry as he looked beyond her, past something she couldn't quite see. "That bastard Gabriel," he muttered. "He's been making me watch everything this whole damn time." She could see the anger radiating through him, lighting his eyes with a familiar fire that she rarely ever had the chance to see. Ukyo didn't need any more proof: she knew at once that this was her Ranma. Even Gabriel couldn't reproduce the fury and hated that was shining fiercely in his steel-blue eyes.

"...Ran-chan."

Then her eyes widened as she saw it: the large object that was lying directly behind him: her old, beat up, Okonomiyaki cart. She watched the pushcart nervously, as Ranma turned, following her gaze.

"Whoa, it really is that old cart!" he said, bending closer to look at it. "Me an pop didn't have it for long, but it looks almost as good as new!"

Ukyo smiled uneasily.

Her fiancée stood up and walked away from the cart, glancing around the clearing. "Don't suppose you know where Akane or that jerk Gabriel went?" he asked, turning to look at her. "I mean, I saw them disappear through the mirror, but..."

Ukyo quickly shook her head as she felt her heart fall. He didn't even seem to care that he had found her... all he cared about was finding Akane and Gabriel. 

"Damn," Ranma muttered as he cracked his knuckles, his expression tight and grim. "I've got a score to settle with that bastard," he said, stepping away from the cart.

"He doesn't stand a chance against you, Ran-chan."

Ranma's smile grew. "I know," he laughed.

Ukyo smiled as she watched him. He looked so strong, so confident: and even the torn clothes and wild hair couldn't mask his handsome features. "I'm really glad you're here," she said, although the words were directed more at herself, than at him.

He grinned. "Me too," he said, laughing with relief. "I was starting to think I'd never get out of that damn attic." His good humor faded as he looked at her in seriousness. "So, where are we anyway?" he asked. "One minute I'm watching you guys through the mirror—the next, I'm here. Is this part of your nightmare or something?"

Ukyo blushed deeply, and forced a cheerful smile. "Not sure," she said with a nervous laugh. "I just drew a forest..."

"That's weird," Ranma said, looking around in confusion. "I wonder why we're not there anymore then."

At that moment, Ukyo felt something strange in the air—something she couldn't quite explain. It was a choking presence; and it seemed to be surrounding only her. Seconds later when she went to open her mouth to speak, words came out that were not her own. "Ran-chan, do you love me?" she asked. At soon as the words left her mouth, her eyes flew open in horror and she stood still, her heart beating uncontrollably in her chest. She threw her hands immediately over her mouth, afraid she'd say something else, equally embarrassing.

Ranma was staring at her, just as surprised. "Um... Ucchan, you okay?" he asked. "Where'd that come from all of a sudden?

She nodded her head quickly, her hands still covering her mouth. He continued staring at her, confusion and worry written clear across his face.

Her hands, against her better judgment, slowly lowered from her mouth, and once again she was speaking. "You don't really love Akane, right?" she asked. She could hear herself asking the question, and yet, she still couldn't believe it was really her. Something—the choking presence she had felt earlier—was making her. But the questions, the fears—they were things she'd always secretly wondered but could never gather up the courage to ask.

She frowned, troubled and confused by these questions. She didn't know why she was saying all of these things out loud... she absolutely feared the answers... but, she wanted to hear his confession of love and his denial of Akane, even more....

"Well?" she prompted.

Ranma stared at her with uncertainty. "Err, did something happen here that I don't know about," he asked her. "You're actin' really weird, Ucchan." 

Ukyo quickly shook her head. "No," she said quickly. "I—I mean, yes." Her voice became low, and she looked at the floor, too embarrassed to meet his gaze. "I mean, I think this is part of my nightmare," she finished softly.

He looked at her, confused. "You're asking me things because of your nightmare?" he repeated, frowning. Ukyo smiled uneasily—he didn't look too convinced.

"You got it, Sugar."

Ranma's hand slipped unconsciously to the back of his head, a nervous habit she had always found cute. "But if this is your nightmare, wouldn't I be answering the things you _don't_ want me too or something?" he asked. "It don't make any sense...."

Ukyo shrugged. "I don't understand it either," she told him. "But I need you to answer truthfully." She paused as she watched him, carefully gauging his expression. "Do you love me, Ranma? Or... or do you love Akane or Shampoo instead?"

She could see how nervous, how uncomfortable he was by the way he was shifting uneasily where he stood; his hands were lying awkwardly at his sides, as if he wasn't sure what to do with them. "Err, well, I—I guess, that..."

...Ukyo's heart sped up. "Yes...?" she asked.

"Hell, I don't know, Ukyo."

She looked at him in disbelief, and her heart fell. "Yes, you do," she said, growing angry despite herself. "You've always known, so just tell me already!" She had come this far, she wasn't going to back down now. Not when she finally had him alone, and to herself.

Her eyes drifted unconsciously to her Okonomiyaki cart.

Ranma swallowed nervously. "Well, I—I mean, ya know you're my best friend, right Ucchan?"

She nodded.

"And—and that we'll always be friends, right?" He paused, waiting for her to agree. Again, she silently nodded. "An, ya know, I can't really get outta my engagement to Akane—you know our pops: they'll never give up—and I know you think you like me an stuff, but _you_ know how relationships can screw up friendships, right? So, how bout we just stay friends? That way, we don't gotta worry about all that other stuff." He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, hopeful.

"But what about Gabriel?" Ukyo asked suddenly. "If you lose Akane, there's no way your dads will make you marry Kasumi or Nabiki instead. If the Shadow Man wins and he gets her, then—"

Ranma shook his head. "That won't happen," he interrupted, his eyes cold and hard at the mere mention of the Shadow Man's name. "Besides," he said, lightening his voice. "Once he finally realizes what an uncute tomboy Akane is, he'll change his mind and beg me to take her back."

"But what about me," Ukyo blurted out. "What about my cart! _Our_ dad's made a promise too!"

Ranma took a couple steps back, and motioned towards the cart sitting behind him. "Err, 'bout that. It's right here. Since you got it back, can't we just... I don't know... call it even or something?"

Ukyo looked at him in disbelief. "That's not really my cart," she said incredulously. "And NO, I CAN'T just '_call it off_!'"

"Ukyo..."

She turned away from him, her hands tightly gripping her spatula for support. Well, I guess I've got my answer, she thought angrily. She wiped furiously at the tears forming in her eyes, silently cursing Gabriel and this stupid Game.

This was all his fault.

She never would have asked Ranma if he loved her if not for this stupid nightmare. She hadn't needed to hear his answer—she hadn't _wanted_ too—she realized that now. She had been happy just being by his side, waiting for him to come to her of his own free will. She always thought that if she was patient, and understanding, he'd come to his senses eventually...

"Ukyo?" he asked again. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she lied, "I'm fine."

She took a long, deep breath, staring at the darkness that surrounded her. That's when she realized that nothing had really changed. She'd always known Ranma put Akane's engagement before hers—that was the same as before. And he never did come out and say that he loved someone else... all he said was that he can't get out of Akane's engagement. It wasn't long before she felt a new hope begin to stir deep within her. Maybe there was still a chance for them, she thought excitedly. If he really did lose Akane to Gabriel, then she had no doubt he'd choose to marry her over Shampoo...

Wiping away the lingering tears, Ukyo turned to look once more at Ranma. He looked troubled and worried as he watched her, and she felt her heart soar with his concern. He had to love her—he just had too. Maybe he was denying his feelings for her because he felt there was no hope for them....

"You sure you're okay, Ucchan?" Ranma asked.

This time when she nodded, she meant it. "I'm fine," she told him. "Let's try to find a way out of here, huh? I'm sure Akane and Shampoo are waiting for us." And I've got a couple of things to say to Akane, she thought happily.

"Sure," Ranma said, grinning.

Ukyo grinned back—though she wasn't grinning for long.

As she watched him out of the corner of her eye, she saw his hand flicker briefly in the dark, just like Shampoo's had done before disappearing. Oh no, she thought. Ran-chan! She stopped abruptly and turned to look at him, only to see him staring down at his hand, his eyes wide with shock.

"Damn it," he muttered, staring intently at his hand. "Any idea how I can make it stop?" he asked.

Ukyo shook her head as she grabbed onto his arm. "Don't worry," she told him. "I won't let you disappear."

Ranma laughed. "Don't think there's much you can do, Ucchan," he said.

The Okonomiyaki chef shook her head fervently. The hand that was holding onto his tightened, even as his arm continued to disappear from beneath. The tighter her grip, however, the weaker and dizzier she felt herself becoming. Then, suddenly, she felt Ranma push her away.

"Ran-chan?"

"Don't touch me!" he said as he took several large steps back.

Her eyes widened in confusion, and she took a small tentative step towards him. "But—but, Ranma..."

With every step she took, her fiancée took another, larger step back. He shook his head. "Don't come any closer, Ucchan," he warned her. "The moment you touched me, you started disappearing too."

Ukyo looked startled for a moment and she stopped. "W-what?"

Ranma frowned apologetically as he met her wide, confused eyes. "When you held onto my arm a minute ago, I noticed that your hand started to disappear, and you looked like you were about to pass out. But the moment I pulled away, you were fine."

Ukyo shook her head quickly. Nothing he was saying made any sense. Sure, she had felt a little dizzy... but she would have _noticed_ if she were disappearing....

"I'll be fine," she told him, though her voice betrayed her.

"Uh huh," Ranma said in disbelief. "You will if you stay waaaay over there."

"But—"

"I'll be fine," he insisted. "This is your nightmare—I'm probably just in the way, anyway."

Ukyo shook her head quickly. Ranma didn't know that her entire fear revolved around him—she couldn't let him disappear now. Besides, she didn't know how to beat her nightmare if he was gone. Maybe the only way to make the door appear, was to stop him from disappearing...

Without another moment's hesitation, Ukyo closed the remaining distance between them, grabbing on to Ranma's arm as she did so. "I won't lose you!" she said defiantly.

Ranma's eyes widened, and his expression grew grim. "Ukyo, don't be an idiot!" he said. "You'll disappear too if you keep talkin' like that!"

"I don't care," she replied, avoiding his disapproving stare. "I won't let my nightmare win!"

Ranma tried to push her away, but every time he did, his hand kept passing right through hers. He sighed in frustration as his clear blue eyes met hers. "Are you crazy?" he shouted. "You can't beat this thing if you disappear!"

Ukyo shook her head, ignoring his words. "It's alright," she insisted. "As long as I'm with you, I'm sure—"

"—Are you _listening_ to yourself?" Ranma demanded. "You're not making any sense! Did part of your nightmare involve you losing your mind, or something?!"

Her grip on his arm loosened—but only slightly. She could feel the dizziness slowly returning, but she ignored it. "I—I don't care," she replied, avoiding his gaze.

Ranma frowned. "Well, I sure as Hell do," he replied severely. "I'm not gonna let you do something so stupid, Ucchan. Now LET GO!" Ranma tried to pull away again, trying his best to separate them, but his hands refused to retain their grip, and the harder he tried, the stronger she seemed to hold on.

"Will you STOP pushing me away?!" Ukyo shouted.

Ranma frowned as he watched her. "What will hanging onto me achieve, Ucchan?" he asked angrily. "Nothing! We BOTH disappear. But if you stay here, you can still get out."

Ukyo shook her head in reply. "But I'll be all alone," she said softly.

"Maybe that's the nightmare ya gotta face," he said.

Ukyo looked at the hand that was gripping tightly to Ranma—really looked at it—and gasped: her hand was slowly beginning to disappear—just like Ranma had said. And the longer and more intently she watched, the more her arm seemed to blink in and out of focus. Startled, she released her grip, and taking a long, deep breath, stepped several feet away from him.

She heard Ranma heave a loud sigh of relief. But her eyes refused to meet his as her gaze drifted unconsciously to the old Okonomiyaki cart that lay abandoned and forgotten behind her.

"You're right," she replied at last. She didn't know what else she could say... Gradually she lifted her eyes to watch Ranma, who was now nothing more than a faint, hazy outline. It wasn't long before he disappeared completely too, just like Shampoo and Akane.

And he had been smiling. The jerk.

Ukyo fell to the ground beside her cart, and before her the door appeared.

T G

Akane watched as a new door opened before them: and seconds later, she saw Ukyo slowly emerge. Her head was hanging down, and she was walking slowly, as if in a daze. Once she was out, the door closed behind her, then seemed to merge with the wall, vanishing.

"Ukyo, are you alright?!" Akane asked, walking towards her.

"Is Ranma here?" she asked, ignoring the question.

Akane shook her head. "No. We haven't seen him at all," she replied. Taking a step forward, she placed a comforting hand on Ukyo's shoulder, who casually shook it off.

Slowly, Ukyo lifted her head to meet Akane's startled gaze. "I'm not giving up on him," she said suddenly, her words cold and hard. "Just because I made it out, it doesn't mean I'm giving up," she finished softly.

Akane, taken aback, silently nodded, unsure how to respond.

Shampoo, however, stared at her in surprise. "How Ukyo survive if she no give up Husband?"

Ukyo sighed as she turned away. "I really don't want to talk about it," she replied. "I'm going to forget all about it and concentrate on getting out of this horrible place. Come on," she said, turning to look at her companions over her shoulder. "We're on a time limit, right? Let's get out of here as fast as we can."

Akane and Shampoo both nodded: they couldn't agree more.

Walking quickly, all three girls headed off down the hallway, the light from the candles that lined the walls, throwing strange, distorted images against the wallpaper.

And Ranma, back in the attic, threw a punch at an imaginary opponent who wasn't there....

End of Chapter 8

AUTHOR'S NOTES

Questions? Comments? Flames?

Let the Flames come: this time, I probably deserve them...

But to give credit where credit is due: Thanks go to Rumiko Takahashi, (for creating the Ranmaverse and all the wonderful characters in it), and to L.J. Smith (for being one of my favorite authors and for writing so many wonderful books!)

I plan to revise these chapters sometime in the near future, but I think I'll wait until I've gotten through a few more chapters. Reading the first couple chapters of this makes me cringe...

BUT I've created a new graphic for this story! Be sure to check it out on my new website: (check out URL below.)

WOW! I am SOOO sorry this took so long to finish!! Actually, this was ALWAYS the chapter I dreaded writing the most—even before I decided to write this story! I was never sure how to handle Ukyo's nightmare, and every time I thought about it, I felt overwhelmed and confused. I actually changed it several times... but I guess I'm happy with how it turned out. To be honest, I'm just SOOOO relieved it's over and that I can move on to the other nightmares, I don't even care anymore. ï 


	9. Chapter 9

(C&C welcome. Not to mention needed)

Also, the formatting for this chapter on my website is MUCH better,  
so if you prefer to read it in a normal format, feel free to read it there  
instead!

----------------------  
THE FORGOTTEN GAME  
By: Angela Jewell  
----------------------

Based on the trilogy, The Forbidden Game by L.J. Smith

Ranma 1/2 is the property and creation of Rumiko Takahashi, and whoever else owns it.  
I'm not making any money off of this so don't sue me. Besides, good luck if you tried.  
I'm broke.

---------------  
Volume 1:  
Spellbound  
---------------

I measure every grief I meet  
With analytic eyes;  
I wonder if it weighs like mine,  
Or has an easier size.

I wonder if they bore it long,  
Or did it just begin?  
I could not tell the date of mine,  
It feels so old a pain.

I wonder if it hurts to live,  
And if they have to try,  
And whether, could they choose between,  
They would not rather die.

-Emily Dickinson

---------------  
Chapter 9  
---------------

The hallway before them seemed to stretch on forever and Akane was beginning to  
wonder if it would ever end. She glanced over at Shampoo and Ukyo who were walking  
quietly beside her. She wanted desperately to break the silence, and yet, she wasn't  
exactly sure how. After all, the three of them had never been the best of friends...

After many awkward attempts—attempts which always proved useless—she finally  
gave up. Instead, she glanced once more at the crumpled piece of paper she held tightly  
in her hand. It was a picture of a forest—the trees colored in dark, ugly shades of green.  
It had appeared suddenly the moment Ukyo had exited her nightmare, and only Akane had  
seemed to notice it. She had meant to give it back to the other girl immediately; but even  
now she still couldn't bring herself to do it. The last thing Ukyo wanted was to relive the  
nightmare she had just escaped.

Carefully, Akane tucked the piece of paper back into her pocket, promising herself she'd  
give it back when the time was right. Once that was done, she sighed, dreading the  
impending silence…

…until the unseen clock suddenly struck midnight. Akane smiled, welcoming the intrusion.  
She turned to her companions who were looking back at her, an air of unease surrounding  
them. The sound was echoing all around.

"Don't worry," she said quickly, trying to sound reassuring. "We still have plenty of time."

Shampoo nodded, though Ukyo didn't look quite as convinced.

The Amazon began to look down the hall, then turning, looked in the opposite direction.  
"We split up like before, yes?" she asked, motioning behind them. "Hallway might change.  
May find someone if separate."

Akane immediately shook her head, her hands waving off the suggestion. "I don't think  
that would be such a great idea," she said, laughing nervously. She remembered all too  
well what had happened last time she had suggested they separate. There was no_ way_ she  
was giving Gabriel a chance like that again! "I mean," she began quickly, trying to come up  
with a reasonable excuse, "since there's three of us now, it would probably take longer to  
meet up. It's better to just stick together, I think."

Shampoo and Ukyo nodded. "Sounds good to me," Ukyo replied.

Quietly they resumed walking, headed in the same direction. Akane couldn't help but  
smile: once again she had managed to successfully evade another run-in with Gabriel.  
She was getting better at this!

But even _that_ wasn't enough to sustain her good spirits for long. The search turned  
out exactly the same: not a single door or person in sight. But they continued walking  
along the same familiar corridor regardless, the lanterns that lined the walls the only light.

Then, something unexpected happened... the hallway suddenly ended. And that's  
when they finally found Nabiki, leaning casually against one of its three walls.

There was a large, elaborately decorated door behind her that Shampoo was eyeing  
strangely, but Akane hardly noticed it. Without wasting a minute, she ran towards her  
sister, calling her name. "Nabiki!" she cried happily, coming to a sudden stop before her.  
"We finally found you! Are you okay?" she added worriedly.

Nabiki nodded as she took a step away from the wall. "Yeah, I'm fine," she assured her.  
"But it's about time you got here," she reprimanded them. "It feels like I've been waiting  
here for hours."

Akane smiled apologetically as Ukyo rolled her eyes.

"Anyway," Nabiki continued, motioning towards the door. "I found it a while ago but  
it refused to open." At these words, she quickly grabbed a hold of the doorknob, twisting  
it slowly. This time, the knob turned easily. "Great," she muttered in annoyance. "A door  
that can open at will. Just what we need."

"You mean," Akane began uncertainly. "That that door actually _waited_ for us to get  
here?" She shook her head. "That's impossible Nabiki."

Her sister shrugged. "Stranger things have been known to happen," she replied.

"Must be part of that Shadow-jerk's sick sense of humor," said Ukyo angrily.

Shampoo shook her head. "Is part of game," she explained. "Gabriel want make sure  
Akane there when enter nightmare. He try scare into giving up. Is obvious."

Akane looked dejectedly at the floor. If that was Gabriel's plan he was doing an  
excellent job so far. She already felt guilty enough as it was...

"So my nightmare really is behind that door," Nabiki replied thoughtfully. "How  
wonderful."

"What we face now?" Shampoo asked, turning her violet eyes on Nabiki. "Is evil  
debt collector, yes?"

Ukyo shook her head. "If you ask me it's obvious," she replied lightly. "It's an empty  
bank account. Right?"

"Actually, yeah," Nabiki replied.

Akane's eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at her sister. She knew money was  
important to Nabiki, but honestly! "An empty bank account?" she asked, her voice  
skeptical. "Really?"

Nabiki sighed. "Geez, Akane," she glowered. "I know I'm not the easiest person to read,  
but you of all people should have seen _that_ one coming."

Akane nodded. She was right of course: she _should_ have known. After all, money was  
all Nabiki could think about... so it was no wonder her nightmare would involve it in some  
way. And if all they had to fear from Nabiki was an empty bank account, then this nightmare  
should be easy to defeat.

A small part of her, however—a part she was trying desperately to ignore—kept reminding  
her of Ukyo. She couldn't forget the look on the other girl's face as she had stepped through  
the door of her nightmare... the pain, the anger, the fear. She had been forced to confront  
more than just a forest; that much was obvious.

And although she couldn't explain why, she realized that an empty bank account might  
be the least of Nabiki's worries...

Her attention was brought back to Nabiki as she watched her sister grab a hold of the  
doorknob, her expression guarded. "Everyone ready?" she asked.

Shampoo nodded as she took up a fighting stance, smiling with anticipation; Ukyo  
followed suit, though she didn't look quite as enthusiastic.

Akane watched nervously from where she stood, her arms raised in a defensive position.  
But as the door slowly opened, Akane's stance began to relax, and her eyes narrowed  
slightly.

_That's it_? she thought, suddenly angry.

She looked questioningly at the others. Shampoo looked angry and annoyed while Ukyo  
shrugged, looking just as upset; Nabiki, however, seemed completely unfazed. Without  
hesitating, her older sister stepped through the door, followed closely by Ukyo and  
Shampoo. Akane, slightly miffed, was the last to enter, and the door slammed shut  
behind her, locking them in.

Not that it mattered.

They were standing in another long hallway, identical to the one they had just left  
behind.

After several minutes, Nabiki's voice broke the silence. "This… I wasn't expecting."  
Everyone nodded their agreement, carefully assessing the long, seemingly endless  
hallway that stretched before them.

Akane groaned. She wouldn't be surprised if Gabriel was doing this deliberately—maybe  
he planned on making them walk until their time finally ran out.

"What do we do now?" Ukyo asked, sighing.

"The only thing we can do," Nabiki replied, as calm as ever. "Keep walking."

* * *

It was like they were trapped in the forest all over again. No matter how long they walked,  
nothing happened. The hallway seemed to stretch on forever and showed no signs of  
ever ending.

After a while, Akane began to wonder if Nabiki had drawn anything at allAnd the more  
they wandered, the more likely it seemed. That thought, however, brought up another,  
more frightening one: what about her own blank paper?

"Are you sure you drew an empty bank account?" Ukyo asked, echoing Akane's thoughts.

Nabiki narrowed her eyes. "I think I'd remember what I drew," she told her.

At her words, Shampoo suddenly stopped. A slight frown appeared on her face and  
she looked confused and angry as she pointed straight ahead. "Is end of hallway," she  
explained, turning to look at them. "Hallway no supposed to end, yes?"

Akane followed her gaze. Sure enough she could see where all three walls met, creating  
a dead end—just like the one they'd left behind. It was still a good distance away, and  
still hard to see, but the closer they approached, the more they realized that something  
about the walls weren't quite right. Lights cast about by the lanterns seemed to dance  
across the hallway, creating a small spectrum of color which leapt from wall to wall.

It wasn't long before they realized what was causing it: Firmly attached to all three walls  
were three long mirrors. Even up close, the orangish-red glow of the flames sent light  
dancing between them, reflecting off their surface in a strange, unnatural way.

Akane wasn't sure what to make of it... and apparently neither was her sister.

Nabiki walked slowly towards the mirrors, her eyes narrowed in analytical thought as  
she observed them. Lifting a hand she rapped lightly on the glass and frowned. "They  
appear to be ordinary mirrors," she said, turning to look at the others. "But I have no  
idea what any of this has to do with my nightmare."

"Maybe it doesn't," Ukyo replied, looking at the ground. "Maybe Gabriel wasn't  
satisfied with what you drew so he changed it."

A slow, lazy smile appeared on Nabiki's face. "Works for me," she replied, crossing  
her arms. "I wasn't exactly looking forward to having my bank account emptied."

Akane sighed in frustration. Nabiki was being _way_ too calm about all of this. Whatever  
Gabriel had in store for her, she was sure it wouldn't be good. And in these type of  
situations, it was always better to be cautious rather than careless and ill-prepared.

"Can you think of any reason there might be mirrors in your nightmare," Akane asked,  
hoping to find something that could help solve this. "Maybe you saw... or—or thought  
you saw..." she paused for a minute, confused. "Perhaps you broke, or did—" Akane  
suddenly groaned in frustration. "Oh, I don't know," she finished angrily.

Even to her, the idea of Nabiki being afraid of mirrors was ridiculous... she'd lived  
with her sister long enough to have a fairly good idea of what frightened her... and  
mirrors had never even come close to making the list.

"Maybe Nabiki afraid of own face?" Shampoo offered up helpfully.

The middle Tendo daughter glared in reply and Shampoo looked away haughtily.

"Why don't you try standing in front of them," Ukyo suggested. "Maybe you  
have to activate them in some way or something."

Nabiki shrugged. "Sounds better than nothing," she replied. Stepping forward, she  
positioned herself squarely in front of the main mirror, staring intently at her reflection  
as she did so. She could see the other two mirrors out of the corner of her eyes, flanking  
her from both sides; and it took most of her concentration just to block those two out.  
She stood that way for awhile—her eyes fixed on the full-length mirror before her—afraid  
to blink. The light from the flames seemed to jump around, and she felt herself growing  
more and more tired as she continued to stare at her reflection.

"This isn't working," she replied, stifling a yawn.

"Just give it another minute," Akane said, though her voice sounded strangely distant.  
Nabiki barely realized she was nodding as she felt her eyes slowly drift closed.

Then, suddenly, she felt herself pushed forward, and her eyes flew open in surprise.  
Glancing around, she frowned. She blinked once, twice—rubbed her eyes... but nothing  
helped.

Gone was the familiar narrow hallway with its faint glow of light: Now she was standing  
alone in total darkness. She didn't bother to look for Shampoo, Ukyo, or Akane. She  
knew instinctively that she wouldn't find them.

Just when she had decided to resign herself to this fact, three bright lights flashed on,  
illuminating the darkness; it was strange and abrupt, and she had to shield her eyes  
from the sudden onslaught of light. When she had finally adjusted enough to open  
them completely, she noticed that the light was concentrated in three particular places:  
to her left, to her right, and immediately in front of her. But even more important than that,  
was exactly _what_ the light was falling on: three large mirrors.

But they were different from before: they seemed to almost be floating around her,  
unattached... and this time, when she looked into the closest mirror, it was no longer  
her own reflection that stared back at her...

In the tall mirror right before her was Akane. Her eyes were closed, and her hands were  
lying motionless at her sides. Turning slowly to her left, Nabiki saw Ukyo in much the  
same position, and on her right, Shampoo.

Paying close attention to every detail she could, Nabiki carefully studied the mirrors:  
Aside from the people within, there didn't seem to be anything extraordinary or special  
about them—no matter how hard she looked, they resembled plain, ordinary mirrors.

But when she was going over the mirror with Ukyo once again, that quickly changed. As  
she was watching, a single word suddenly appeared out of nowhere, written in neat, large  
letters:

REFLECTION

Instinctively, she glanced over to her right where Shampoo was and noticed the same  
thing, although "reflection" was spelled backwards.

Nabiki narrowed her eyes. "What is going on here?" she wondered.

Suddenly, she froze. She swore she could hear someone laughing.

"And here I thought you were the smart one," said a voice, confirming her suspicions.  
Quickly turning around, her eyes scanned the surrounding darkness: the Shadow Man  
appeared, emerging from the shadows.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded, cutting right to the chase.

Arms crossed arrogantly across his chest, Gabriel shrugged. He was watching her  
closely through wide, brilliant blue eyes, and slowly, carefully, he began to walk towards  
her. "This is my game," he told her simply, as if that explained everything.

Nabiki frowned, unimpressed with his answer. "So," she replied flatly. "That doesn't  
explain what you're doing here."

Gabriel laughed. It was a deep, guttural sound—a sound which grated instantly on  
her nerves, and it seemed to echo all around. "Is my presence distracting you, Nabiki?"  
he asked, moving closer, a smile on his lips.

Her eyes met his, and she glared back. "No," she replied coldly. "I just want to know  
what your motivation is. I highly doubt you're here to help me."

"Ouch," he said, putting a hand to his heart. "Your lack of faith really hurts."

Nabiki, not missing a beat, laughed. "So does yours," she replied sarcastically,  
mimicking his action. Just as quickly the smile was gone, and the calm, unreadable  
mask was back in place. "I'm not as naïve or foolish as you might think," she warned him,  
her voice tight. "So tell me why you're really here."

His face became serious, then; his tone harsh. "To help you," he said, taking a step  
closer. His expression never once wavered as he approached, and his eyes radiated  
sincerity and trust.

Nabiki eyed him curiously. Although she still didn't trust him, she knew he was  
telling the truth. She might have lacked the ambition needed for martial arts, but  
she had the keen ability to read people. "Then maybe you can explain what all this is,"  
she said, gesturing towards the mirrors.

The Shadow Man shook his head. "I don't know," he replied. "It's your nightmare.  
You figure it out."

Nabiki glowered. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to hit the conceited  
bastard right in the jaw—it was a shame, really, that she had never taken to her family's  
art like Akane had. "I thought you were to here to _help_ me," she replied tightly, annoyed.

"I am," he replied dangerously, his blue eyes now stormy with an unspoken threat.  
"But not at your convenience."

Angry, and tired of dealing with him, Nabiki quickly turned away. She wasn't about to  
waste another second playing a childish guessing game with the one person responsible  
for this whole mess. Right now, she had to figure out the purpose of those mirrors.  
Closing her eyes, she began to gradually clear her mind—to concentrate on the task  
at hand.

When her mind was finally clear, she slowly opened her eyes and began to stare  
intently at the closest mirror. Akane was inside, still unmoving. Nabiki watched her  
closely, searching her face, her posture—anything that could give a hint as to what  
any of this had to do with her nightmare.

"Figure it out yet?" Gabriel asked.

Nabiki ignored him as she turned to look at Shampoo and Ukyo. Her gaze traveled  
over their motionless bodies, searching. But again, she came up empty-handed. She  
didn't understand any of this. Was Akane and the others connected to the mirrors  
somehow? Or was she looking at this in completely the wrong way?

Gabriel stepped up beside her, staring intently at the figure of Akane; he was so close  
now, it was as if he could almost reach out and touch her. Nabiki watched him closely—not  
liking the way he was looking at her younger sister. "It's strange," he said suddenly, never  
taking his eyes off the mirror.

There was something about the way he said it which instantly caught her attention.  
"What is?" she asked, curious despite herself.

"Mirrors," he replied thoughtfully.

Suddenly, before she even realized what he was doing, Gabriel was reaching towards  
the mirror, his hand passing effortlessly through the glass. For a moment, Nabiki was too  
stunned to do anything; but then, as she watched Gabriel softly brush his hand across her  
sister's pale cheek, she felt her surprise quickly vanish. Grabbing a hold of his arm, she  
pulled it away.

"Don't touch my sister," she said dangerously, her voice low. Her eyes were narrowed in  
warning, and her face taut and angry as she released his arm.

Gabriel backed away, his hands in the air. "Sorry," he said with a shrug, smiling. "Just  
thought I'd help."

"If you want to help, then stop talking in damn riddles and—" Nabiki's words trailed  
off as she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. The Amazon, though her  
eyes were closed, was smiling. But it wasn't just any smile—it seemed to mimic the  
superior smirk on Gabriel's face perfectly. The moment she turned to look directly at  
Shampoo, however, the smile vanished.

Unconsciously, she found her eyes drifting towards Ukyo, though she was careful  
not to look directly at the mirror. It wasn't long before her suspicions were confirmed:  
where-as Shampoo had looked cocky and confident, the Okonomiyaki chef across from  
her appeared confused and frustrated; she was reflecting Nabiki exactly. The moment she  
turned to look at her fully, however, the mimicking stopped, and she found herself  
standing before a lifeless, unmoving person.

Again, her eyes drifted to the text written on the mirrors: 'reflection' forwards, and  
backwards.

Wordlessly, she moved behind where Gabriel was standing, and quickly pushed him  
to her vacated spot. He moved without complaint, a small smile on his face—but Nabiki  
completely ignored him. Now when she looked out of the corner of her eye, the reflections  
changed: Shampoo was now copying her movements, while Ukyo mimicked Gabriel's.

Nabiki felt like hitting herself. She'd been so busy trying to figure out the importance  
of the mirrors, that she had completely ignored the obvious. What were mirrors, after  
all, but reflections.

...Somehow her entire nightmare revolved around them.

_Akane_! Suddenly Nabiki remembered what Gabriel had been doing before she became  
distracted. Releasing a breath she didn't know she'd been holding, she turned once  
again to face her sister. With a new-found calm, she placed a hand on the mirror, the  
glass cool and hard against her palm.

The moment she began applying pressure—her hand moving easily through the  
mirror—she heard a loud, piercing cry. It was faint at first, distant; but the more she  
tried to push her hand through the mirror, the stronger the sound became. It grew  
louder and louder—the voice filled with anguish and pain... and familiar somehow.  
And when she could take the cries no longer, she tore her hand away, staring at the  
mirror in horror.

Akane remained exactly where she was, unmoving—all traces of the sound completely  
gone.

There had been something about it, something... like she had heard it before, somehow.  
But where...?

Immediately, she turned back to Gabriel. It was time to get some 'help'...

* * *

Akane, Shampoo and Ukyo were back in the hallway; Nabiki lay at their feet, her face  
pale, her breathing shallow.

"Is she getting any better?" Ukyo asked, kneeling down beside Akane.

Looking at the floor, Akane shook her head. "Not yet," she replied sadly.  
"She hasn't changed at all—she just seems to be getting worse."

"Don't worry, sugar," Ukyo said brightly, trying to cheer her up. "She'll come  
out of it okay."

Akane nodded. "I hope so," she replied. "I just wish I knew what she was up  
against so I could've helped her, or warned her or something. She wouldn't be  
looking like this if she was just facing the loss of a couple yen," she finished softly.  
Ukyo and Shampoo slowly nodded, their faces suddenly drawn—they could only  
imagine what she was facing in there.

"Besides," Akane continued, her voice barely audible. She was afraid to voice  
what she'd been thinking all along. "If this was really just about money, there  
wouldn't be any reason for her to be in there all alone."

Watching her sympathetically, Ukyo frowned. She wasn't sure what she could  
say to cheer her up. Despite what she had said about Nabiki's nightmare, she knew  
that there was a good chance the older girl might not make it out at all. Gabriel had  
said at the beginning that someone would die… and although she hated to think  
of that now... she knew that one of Akane's sisters was the most likely candidate.  
After all, Ryoga was too stubborn and stupid to die from some stupid nightmare...

The sound of Akane hitting the wall with her fist startled Ukyo out of her train of  
thought. Guilty over where her thoughts had been headed, she turned to look  
nervously at the angry girl beside her. "I hate sitting around waiting," Akane  
complained, looking helplessly at her sister. "What if she needs help? What if  
she can't beat it? What if—"

"Nabiki can handle anything," Ukyo interrupted, trying to sound firm and  
reassuring despite her misgivings. "She'll be alright, don't worry." Shampoo  
quickly nodded.

"Nabiki strong. Even Shampoo no want go up against her."

"Thanks," Akane said, trying her best to smile. "And you're right. She isn't  
the type to give up easily. I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if she's trying to  
strike some sort of deal, even in her nightmare." She paused for a moment to  
look down at her sister. "She'll be okay," she said softly to herself, trying hard  
to believe the words.

The longer they waited, however, the worse Nabiki seemed to get... and the  
three mirrors lining the walls were beginning to fade.

* * *

Nabiki was doing one of the things she did best: reasoning.

She knew that her nightmare involved mirrors and reflections in some way.  
That much was certain.

The only question was, why?

She knew it wasn't the mirrors themselves: that would have been ridiculous.  
So that meant that it had to be something that the mirrors _represented_...

Nabiki thought intently, trying to find something—some meaning, a connection.  
She began with the words themselves: mirrors, reflect, surface, light, illumination,  
observation, reflection, thoughts, memories... she sighed in frustration. There were  
so many things that both words could mean, she had no idea where to even _begin_  
to start!

She could feel Gabriel watching her from the shadows, and again, found herself  
cursing his very presence. After his little 'high and mighty' act she would have  
preferred to be alone. Again, she had asked for his help—demanded it actually—but  
again he had flatly refused. 'Soon,' he had said, smiling in that insufferably arrogant  
way. Then, before she could question him further he had retreated beyond her reach,  
back into the thick shadows surrounding the mirrors.

And she had never been happier. She was liking him less and less as time went by...

Turning back towards the mirrors, she forced herself to concentrate even harder.  
When at a stand-still it was always smart to start back at the beginning.

So… she made herself consider. What _is_ a mirror?

A pane of glass, obviously. But what else?

At the unspoken question, several definitions came to mind. The scientific: a  
surface that forms images by reflecting light. And the simplistic: a faithful depiction  
or reflection—to put it loosely.

She glanced around the room, searching for any sign of a light source. The only  
source she found, however, was the obvious: the three strange lights which  
seemed to be concentrated on each, separate mirror. But they were used to illuminate  
Akane, Shampoo, and Ukyo—not necessarily to create reflections. At least, not like  
the mirrors in the hallway had been doing with the flames from the torches.

And she was fairly certain that the images of everyone in the mirrors were not mere  
reflections of light—after all, Gabriel had _touched_ Akane... and she knew she wasn't  
afraid of light or glass.

That left the simple definition: A faithful depiction or reflection.

This, she felt, held merit… at least more than anything else she had managed to come  
up with so far.

Reflection, she felt, was the key to all this: something Shampoo and Ukyo had kindly  
demonstrated in various, interesting ways. So did that mean that Akane was supposed  
to signify a faithful depiction?

And if so, a depiction of what?

As if in answer to her thoughts, Nabiki watched in surprise as her sister slowly vanished  
from sight. Now, staring back at her was her own confused and surprised face.

Her own reflection.

But there was something strange about it… something _wrong_.

She had grown accustomed to seeing a dark familiar shade of brown in her eyes when  
looking in a mirror... but the eyes staring back at her were white, blank and empty.

And then the reflection smiled.

Nabiki took a startled step back, fear and disbelief plain on her face. No, she wasn't  
afraid of mirrors—but that didn't mean she was stupid enough to stand in front of one  
when there was something obviously _evil_ inside of it.

"Looks like you're finally making progress," Gabriel said.

Nabiki looked towards the voice, her eyes wide. "What—what _is_ that?" she demanded,  
pointing angrily at the reflection. "That—that's _not_ me!"

Gabriel laughed. "It isn't?" he asked simply. His voice was disjointed and seemed to drift  
throughout the room. "Then why does she look so much like you?"

Nabiki turned, glaring angrily into the shadows, uncertain where his voice was coming  
from. "I don't know," she replied tightly, her lips drawn into a thin, tight line.

He emerged then, smiling brightly. "Maybe if you look in the mirror again, you'll see  
what you need too," he told her.

Nabiki quickly shook her head. "I don't need too," she replied. "I already know what I  
look like."

Gabriel raised an eyebrow as he took a step closer. "Why Nabiki," he mocked playfully.  
"Are you afraid you'll look in there and see something you won't like?"

"Of course not," she shot back. "I'm just not about to play your sick little game."

"Ahh, but you see, playing is mandatory," he reminded her, smiling wickedly.  
"You _have_ to play."

Nabiki didn't even flinch as Gabriel stepped up next to her, lying a hand on her shoulder.  
"Now," he began, his voice low and insistent. "Are you going to look, or should I _make_ you?"

Shrugging off his hand, she faced him, her eyes radiating fury. Then without a word, she  
turned and headed towards the central mirror.

Shaking despite herself, she looked within... and froze. She felt the blood drain from  
her face as she stared in disbelief at the mirror.

"What do you see, Nabiki?" Gabriel asked, taking another step closer.

Nabiki made no attempt to show she had heard him; her face, which had normally  
been calm and collected, was now drawn and pale. Her mouth hung open and her  
eyes were wide—with horror, surprise, denial... for being a person normally in control  
of their emotions, Nabiki suddenly found herself going through the entire spectrum.  
And it scared her.

Quietly, Gabriel stepped up beside her, and looking closely at the mirror, smiled. He could  
see himself perfectly in all three of them—his tight black pants, blood-red shirt—and the  
grin that had slowly spread across his face. But that was all: he was alone in the mirrors.  
"Oh," he said quietly, looking back at Nabiki. "I see." The smile never once left his face.

Nabiki turned. With narrowed, angry eyes she stared accusingly at Gabriel. "Why don't  
I have a reflection?" she demanded, though her voice shook slightly. "Why can't I see  
myself?"

Gabriel shrugged carelessly. "This is _your_ nightmare," he told her flatly. "No one knows  
better than you." Laying his hand on her back, he gently pushed her forward.

Once again she found herself staring at what should have been her reflection. In the hard  
glass, however, Gabriel stood alone.

Is this all she had to show for her hard work, she wondered? An empty mirror? The  
shock shook her to the core—much more than if she had seen something—_anything  
_other than this. All her life she had tried so hard to stop this from happening—to make  
her presence known. All those times she had manipulated and controlled people...  
was _that_ why?

She was convinced it was for the power and the money, and maybe to some degree  
it was...

But it wasn't the _real_ reason—it had never been about that.

"Is this what you're afraid of becoming, Nabiki?" Gabriel suddenly asked, interrupting  
her thoughts. "Or," he added thoughtfully, gesturing towards the empty mirror. "Is this  
how you already see yourself?"

"I'm _not_ like that," she told him slowly, motioning vaguely. "I might have been  
once—but I'm not anymore."

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?" he asked her.

At his question, Nabiki suddenly looked torn and confused, and she found herself at a  
loss for words. She could deny it—but the words would lack conviction. And the longer  
they stood there, the more she could feel her control steadily slipping away. She didn't  
know what to do anymore...

...And that scared her almost as much as the empty mirror.

"You hate it, don't you?" Gabriel said, feigning sympathy. "The uncertainty, the fear."  
Wordlessly she shook her head, but Gabriel went on. "How does it feel, Nabiki?" he asked,  
his voice low. "To try your whole life to be noticed—to be _felt_—only in the end, to fail?"

Nabiki felt her chest tighten at his words, and she frowned. "I've never failed at anything,"  
she told him, trying to sound much braver than she felt.

Gabriel cocked his head as he watched her, then his eyes seemed to brighten. "Ah, I see,"  
he said, slapping his hand in his palm. "You've blocked it out too—not as successfully as  
Akane apparently, but you've tried to forget it all the same."

Nabiki quickly shook her head, taking a small step away from him. A part of her—a part  
she had locked up a long time ago—warned her to get as far away as possible: that  
whatever Gabriel was talking about, was _meant_ to be forgotten... and again, she  
heard the cries from the mirror, the ones she had heard while trying to break through—and  
she tried to block them out...

But Gabriel didn't give her the chance.

"Allow me to enlighten you," he replied. Lifting one long finger into the air, he drew a  
sideways V in one simple, fluid motion. "Kenaz," he whispered, and Nabiki felt a strange  
power surrounding her as a flash of memory came—swift, and real.

_She was six years old again, peeking around the door to their grandfather's study.  
She could **hear** her mother yelling and crying inside—**see** her as she tried unsuccessfully to  
pry Akane's small fingers from off the hem of her dress. _

_The closet door behind her was open, and there were strange things within—their  
dark, sharp claws glinting__—__the only light in the darkness from the closet. And they wanted  
to take her mother. . .  
_

_Nabiki had closed her eyes then; covered her ears as she tried to block out the sound of her  
mother's cries and Akane's screams. And finally, she had heard the closet door close... _

_But when she opened her eyes again, only Akane was there: their mother was gone._

It felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. The images—the memory, slowly it  
vanished; and she fell to the floor, breathing heavily. Somehow, she forced herself to  
look up, her eyes dark and troubled as she met Gabriel's. "Why," she asked, her voice  
strained. "Why did you make me remember that?"

Gabriel kneeled down beside her, shaking his head. "You needed too," he told her,  
motioning towards the central mirror—the mirror that Akane had suddenly reappeared  
in. "You had to see for yourself what happened—what she did, what she caused—"

Nabiki stared at her sister's reflection. "Akane," she said softly, darkly. Turning, she  
looked back at Gabriel. "_She_ did that?" she asked, her voice shaking with anger.

Slowly, he nodded. "Don't you want revenge, Nabiki?" he asked in a conspiratorial  
whisper. "Don't you want the person responsible for robbing you of your mother to  
pay? The one who made you feel like a nobody—a worthless shell?"

Nabiki was breathing heavily now, her thoughts a jumbled mess of confusion. She  
wasn't sure _what_ she wanted anymore...

"I can give you everything," Gabriel continued, his voice low and hypnotic. "Riches,  
power, recognition," he paused for a moment, watching her face. "If you help me."

At this, Nabiki slowly raised her head to look at him. "Help you how?" she asked carefully.

"I want her," he said simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. His eyes  
drifted once more to the mirror, and he found himself once again staring at the image of  
Akane. She remained frozen in place, her eyes closed, her arms lying motionless at her  
side. Painfully, he tore his gaze away. "And I'll have her regardless… whether you help  
or not," he finished, his tone deadly serious. "But," he added, "I'd much rather have  
your help."

Nabiki seemed unbothered by his words, but continued to look uncertain and torn about  
his offer—torn between years of concern for her sister, and the sudden hatred she felt  
over what happened to their mother. And always, her mind came back to that image—their  
mother being pulled into the closet, her screams echoing throughout the room.

And somehow she knew that it was all because of Akane…

Akane—Daddy's little martial arts protégée—the one who would unite the schools by  
marrying Ranma and complete their father's dream. And then there was Kasumi—dear,  
sweet, gentle Kasumi—the very image of their mother who everyone loved and adored.

...But where did that leave Nabiki?

"Don't you want revenge?" Gabriel repeated, moving closer. "To get back at her for what she  
did—what she made you become?" He paused for a moment, carefully gauging her reaction.  
"Don't be a fool and let it pass you by, Nabiki," he warned her. "I'm willing to give you anything..."

"Anything?" she asked, her voice suddenly breaking. "The only thing I want is my mother back!"

Gabriel seemed unaffected by her words. "Alright," he replied after a moment's silence,  
nodding slowly. "Consider it done."

Nabiki looked at him, her eyes wide. "What...?" she asked softly, incredulously. She tried hard  
to control her shaking voice. "Don't—don't even JOKE about something like that!" she replied  
angrily.

Effortlessly, Gabriel stood, ignoring her outburst. "It's no joke," he replied, smiling at her. "I'll  
give you back your mother. But in turn," he continued, his expression turning grave. "You  
have to help me win the game," he said. "Is it a deal?" He put his hand out to her then, waiting  
for her to grab it.

Nabiki could only stare back, not believing what she heard. For several long, quiet minutes  
she watched him, looking for any sign that would reveal he was lying. But no such signs  
appeared. His hand remained outstretched to her, a small smile on his face as he waited patiently.

To give her sister to him... to him, it might not be so bad, she tried to reason. Akane would  
be happy, eventually...

And her mother... to have their mother back...

Slowly, hesitantly, Nabiki reached her hand out to his.

And like an animal spotting its prey, the Shadow Man smiled.

* * *

Suddenly, Akane heard it: a loud, grating sound—a noise that seemed to reverberate all  
throughout the room.

Startled, the three girls turned to see what had happened, surprised to see a doorknob  
sticking out of the main mirror. But their attentions were soon diverted elsewhere... seconds  
later, Nabiki began to stir.

Blinking against the onslaught of light, she opened her eyes.

"Nabiki!" Akane cried happily, "You're all right!" Throwing her arms around her  
sister, she hugged her tightly.

The Middle Tendo girl patted her back evenly as she sat up. "Geez, Akane," she  
complained lightly, "I need to breathe, you know."

Akane apologized as she quickly backed away. "What happened?" she asked, watching  
her sister closely. "One minute you're here, and the next, you're passed out and lying on  
the ground."

"Even two mirrors disappeared," Ukyo added.

Nabiki looked around the hallway for a moment, and shrugged. "I was just facing my  
nightmare," she replied calmly, though a small grimace had come over her face. "Trust  
me," she said, "it wasn't pretty."

Akane looked at her sympathetically, frowning. "What was it Nabiki?" she asked.

Her sister waved a hand in dismissal as she climbed to her feet. "If you don't mind,  
Akane," she said. "I would actually prefer to forget about it as quickly as possible. It  
wasn't the most pleasant of experiences in my life."

Shampoo and Ukyo nodded knowingly, and Akane frowned. "Sorry," she said, standing.  
"I shouldn't have asked."

Nabiki waved the comment aside. "Don't worry about it," she told her. "Let's just  
concentrate on finding Kasumi."

Akane smiled brightly. "Sure," she said.

Stepping up to the mirror, Nabiki grabbed the doorknob and easily pulled it open.  
Behind the door was a tall flight of dark stairs.

"That must lead to the second floor," Ukyo said, nervously eyeing the staircase.  
"It sure looks dark up there—you can't even see the top."

Shampoo smiled. "Will be good get off first floor," she replied happily, starting the  
long climb up, already leading the way. Ukyo nodded as she followed, and Akane  
started up after her, turning to look at Nabiki who had yet to enter through the mirror.

"You coming?" she asked, calling to her older sister.

Nabiki nodded, as she waved her ahead. "Yeah," she replied. "Just give me a second."  
Akane shrugged as she resumed climbing.

In the hallway, a small piece of paper had landed beside the mirror next to Nabiki's foot.  
Smiling slightly, she bent over to pick it up. It was a drawing of a tall mirror in a dark  
room, and a person could be seen trapped within it.

Grinning, Nabiki began to wave at the figure—the figure who looked surprisingly like  
herself. "Don't worry, Nabiki-chan" she said cheerfully, speaking to the figure in the  
paper. "Just leave everything to me." Laughing softly, she took the paper and crumpled  
it up, throwing it on the floor at her feet.

And without looking back, Nabiki's reflection started climbing the stairs.

---------------  
End of Chapter 9  
---------------

**Authors Notes**

Well, did I surprise you? lol. I must have, because I completely surprised myself. This was  
_really_ not the direction I was planning Nabiki's nightmare to go in, but I guess it's true what  
they say… some chapters really do write themselves. Anyway, I really hope you enjoyed it!  
As long as you didn't hate it completely, I'm satisfied.

And don't worry if you're a little confused about what happened towards the end, I'll be  
explaining it better in the next couple of chapters. But in case you're wondering, yes, it IS the  
real Nabiki trapped in the mirror—the one with Akane and the others is a fake— or at least, a  
reflection of her.

If Nabiki's nightmare disappointed you, or if you had something completely different in mind,  
all I can say is I'm sorry. Although I realize that money is a large part of Nabiki's characterization,  
I like to think she's deeper than that… whether or not it's true. And since I've always loved the  
concept of mirrors, I thought it would be fun to try and incorporate it into Nabiki's nightmare.  
And yes, Poltergeist III **_really_** influenced this chapter, if you couldn't tell...

Anyway, feel free to disagree with my interpretation… and if you think you can do better,  
I dare you! :P

Err, actually, don't. You'll probably be able too, and then I'll feel like an idiot… But one thing's  
for sure, after writing Ukyo and Nabiki's nightmare, I realize what a cop-out Shampoo's was. I've  
NEVER been satisfied with it, and so once I finish this volume, I'm determined to do a SERIOUS  
rewrite—gone is the dumb monster. I'm gonna get inside Shampoo's head!

And in case you're curious, no, I don't hate Nabiki—even though it may seem like it at times,  
especially in this story. The only character I can actually claim to hate is Shampoo. Interesting  
character—but get your filthy hands off Ranma, he's Akane's!!!

But I digress…

Next chapter, it's Kasumi's turn! And don't worry, Ranma will make an appearance as well.

See you then!

---------------------------------  
If sisters were free to express how they really feel, parents  
would hear this: "Give me all the attention and all the toys and  
send Rebecca to live with Grandma."  
-Linda Sunshine  
---------------------------------

---------------  
Please go to my Author Profile to find out both my email and  
website addresses. Thanks!  
---------------


	10. Chapter 10

(C&C welcome. Not to mention needed)

----------------------  
THE FORGOTTEN GAME  
By: Angela Jewell  
----------------------

Based on the trilogy _The Forbidden Game_ by L.J. Smith

Ranma 1/2 is the creation and property of Rumiko Takahashi… I know some other people and/or  
companies own it as well, but I'm too lazy to look up who they are. So please don't sue me… I just  
moved and am poor enough as it is!

----------------------  
Volume 1:  
Spellbound  
----------------------

Do not stand at my grave and forever weep.  
I am not there; I do not sleep.  
I am a thousand winds that blow.  
I am the diamond glints on snow.  
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.  
I am the gentle autumn's rain.  
When you awaken in the morning's hush  
I am the swift uplifting rush  
Of quiet birds in circled flight.  
I am the soft stars that shine at night.  
Do not stand at my grave and forever cry.  
I am not there. I did not die.

-_Melinda Sue Pacho_

-------------  
Chapter 10  
-------------

To everyone's surprise, they found Kasumi the moment they reached the top of the stairs.  
She was sitting comfortably on the floor, her dress laid out around her, hands in her lap. She  
smiled gently at them as they approached, and climbing gracefully to her feet, smoothed her  
dress with her hands as she prepared to properly greet them.

At least... she **would** have...

…If Akane had given her the chance.

A small cry of surprise was the only sound that managed to escape Kasumi's lips as she  
suddenly found herself pushed back by the force of her sister's affection. Tears were  
gathered in her little sister's eyes as she hugged her tightly—a little too tightly, perhaps—until  
at last, Akane slowly pulled away.

"Good heavens! What's come over you, Akane?"

"Nothing," she insisted, smiling brightly. "I'm just so glad you're okay."

And she was. The moment she saw Kasumi was safe, it felt as though a heavy weight had  
been lifted right off her shoulders. For the first time since they'd entered the game, Akane felt  
like she could breathe normally.

Gabriel had said one of them wouldn't make it out alive...

…She wouldn't let it be Kasumi.

Knowing the type of things her sister feared… improperly greeted houseguests, a missing pet,  
a poorly made meal… she'd say the odds were greatly in their favor. After all, it was _Kasumi_  
for crying out loud! How bad could her nightmare be?

"Have you seen any doors around here?" Akane asked, glancing around the hallway.

Kasumi shook her head, looking apologetic. "I've been right here ever since I woke up. I  
thought I may get lost if I wandered too far, so I've been waiting for someone to pass by."

Nabiki smiled. "My biggest fear was getting lost in a corridor that only goes in one direction  
too. What a coincidence, huh?"

Kasumi was either immune to Nabiki's wry sense of humor, or she had more important things  
on her mind. Whatever the reason, she merely shook her head absently, and with troubled eyes,  
turned to look at Nabiki and Akane each in turn. "But… this…" she began uneasily, gesturing  
to the walls. "Doesn't it look… _familiar_, somehow?"

Akane followed her gaze, curious to see what could upset her older sister... and for a moment,  
she forgot to breathe.

Covering the hallway as far as her eyes could see was faded yellow wallpaper, decorated with  
smiling, dancing bears. It wasn't long before she felt Nabiki step up beside her, looking  
dispassionately at those same walls. How they managed to miss it in the first place was a mystery.

But she recognized it.

...The playroom at her grandfather's house...

...Mother's face, smiling, as she said it was her favorite wallpaper when she was a child...

...Staring at those same walls the night her mother disappeared...

Of course it looks familiar, Kasumi. How could it not...?

But instead, forcing a smile, she shook her head. "Not really," she lied. That day was pretty  
much a blur for everyone—Kasumi wouldn't think it strange she didn't remember. "But listen!"  
she went on, trying to sound excited; anything to distract her from the wallpaper; from her  
sister's haunted expression. "We found out everything in this house is somehow connected  
to our memories. That must be why you recognized it, Onechan."

"Oh, so that's why," said Kasumi softly. "How... nice."

It wasn't long before Shampoo and Ukyo, tired of being left out of the conversation, quickly  
made their presence known.

"We go now, yes?"

Ukyo quickly nodded in agreement. "If we keep walking, odds are we'll find the next  
door… and the sooner we find the door, the sooner I can see Ran-chan again!"

Akane tried her best to hide her annoyance. Here they were, practically fighting for their lives,  
and all she could think about was Ranma. "Are you ready, Kasumi?" she asked gently, not  
wanting to hurry her sister.

Kasumi nodded, albeit reluctantly. And the next moment, the small group was continuing  
down the hallway, silence once again becoming the preferred norm. Ukyo and Shampoo  
walked like seasoned warriors, surveying the battleground; hands hovering over weapons;  
eyes constantly roaming. Nabiki was even quieter than usual, her eyes focused and straight  
ahead.

But the silence didn't last long…

Akane noticed it slowly at first… the way the hallway began to grow dimmer and dimmer;  
the air colder, sharper. The small flames in the gas-lanterns lining the walls began to grow  
weaker the farther they walked—in some cases, going out completely the moment they  
passed. It wasn't long before there were only half a dozen faint yellow glows left to light  
their way…

…Soon, there would be nothing left. And they _still_ hadn't found the door…

Shampoo's voice was the first to break the silence. "Kasumi fear dark, yes?"

The eldest Tendo daughter slowly shook her head. "I—I don't think so," she replied,  
sounding uncertain.

"What_was_ your nightmare?" Akane asked curiously.

"Oh," said Kasumi calmly, not breaking stride. "I drew a picture of a messy room. There's  
nothing more frightening than dirty socks and half-eaten sandwiches lying around on the floor,  
don't you think?" As if in response to her words, the flames in the lanterns suddenly flared to life,  
providing more than enough light for Kasumi to see the startled, surprised looks on all their faces.  
She could do nothing but stare back… genuinely confused by their reactions.

Just as suddenly, the lights dimmed once again.

Still, Akane tried her best to keep her mouth from hanging open. "You… really?" she asked,  
not quite able to find the words. Though part of her had suspected… the other part hadn't really  
_believed_ it!

Kasumi nodded, looking slightly affronted. "Of course, Akane. I wouldn't joke about a thing like  
that. Why?" she added, suddenly sounding worried. "Is it very strange?"

Akane laughed uncomfortably. "Ah—no, no! Not at all, Oneesan."

In fact, now that she thought about it… it fit **perfectly**. Having to clean up after Ranma, not  
to mention the added wreckage of his numerous fiancées, must have been more terrifying than  
she thought!

Any further discussion however, was quickly cut short as Nabiki's voice sounded from further  
up the hallway.

"Hey! I think I found the door!"

Sure enough, it was there—large and dark blue, on the left side of the wall. It was flanked on  
both sides by two small lanterns—the last remaining ones, stubbornly holding their flames as  
though existing for this solitary door alone. There was nothing about the door that particularly  
stood out to Akane… not at first.

Then she noticed the doorknob...

Her eyes instantly widened, and for some reason she couldn't quite fathom, it filled her with  
sudden, unexplainable fear. She didn't want to look at it, and she didn't want to touch it.

"Akane, are you alright? You look rather pale."

Somehow, Akane managed to nod.

The light from the lanterns was faint, sending only jagged flickers across the door's surface…  
and yet, even that _small_ amount of light seemed focused entirely on the door-handle. It wasn't the  
typical knob to begin with: it was circular not flat, and instead of a keyhole, the entire knob was  
shaped like a lion with a gapping jaw… eerie yellow glows from the flames, dancing against the  
shadows, only succeeded in making something that already looked malign, all the more sinister.

"We go in now, yes?" Shampoo asked, sounding impatient.

Akane didn't say a word. There was no _way_ she was touching that doorknob!

And yet… it appeared nobody else was willing to either. Shampoo and Ukyo, arguably the  
most enthusiastic of the group, seemed unwilling to open the door themselves… Nabiki and  
Kasumi were in much the same state… all of them standing stock still, simply staring. Despite  
their impatience to get the game started again, nobody seemed willing to take that first step.  
Even worse, they all seemed to be looking at Akane… as though they expected _her_ to make  
that first move.

Honestly! Just because she happened to be the prize in this stupid game, didn't mean she was  
_immune_: if something were to jump out of that thing, she'd bleed just like the rest of them!

"Well…" she prompted, hoping one of them would see it as an unspoken challenge, and jump  
into action.

Several uncomfortable minutes later, she realized none of them would—and to add insult to  
injury, she could feel several pairs of eyes burning into the back of her head, silently challenging _  
her_.

"Fine," she grumbled at last, "you win. I'll do it!"

Taking a long deep breath, Akane mentally steeled herself. Ever so slowly, heart pounding,  
her hand reached for the doorknob…

In silence, she prayed for the last flames in the lanterns to go out. If she didn't have to **look**  
at it, she reasoned, then she didn't have to be afraid of it… clinging desperately to that unlikely  
hope, she did the next best thing: she closed her eyes.

Soon, she felt the doorknob beneath her hands; ice cold in her palm.

Not wanting to linger on it any longer, she turned the knob, yanking the door open at last.

…That's how she pictured it happening in her mind, anyway…

In reality, the door refused to budge.

_Great,_ she muttered. _Just__** great**_!

Honestly! As if her luck wasn't bad enough… out of all the doors she had to open, why  
did they have to find the one that was stuck?! Too angry to remember her fear, she let go  
of the handle, and kicked the door with her foot.

"Do you need any help, sugar?" Ukyo asked, a hint of a smile on her face.

The same expression was mirrored on Shampoo as well, though she didn't even try to hide  
her disdain. "Shampoo gladly kick down if Akane too weak."

"I'm perfectly capable of opening a _**door**_," she shot back angrily.

Again she gripped the doorknob, this time ignoring the fear and loathing that came with  
the direct contact; anger was always easier to handle than fear anyway. Bracing her feet  
against the floor, she attempted to turn the handle while simultaneously pushing the door with  
her other hand. She could feel whatever was blocking it on the other side slowly give way;  
and using all that brute strength Ranma was always going on about, she continued pushing  
until the door had finally opened.

Sure, she had only been able to open it a tiny crack, and they'd all have to go in one at a  
time, but at least the stupid thing was open! She kicked it swiftly with her foot, annoyed by  
the trouble it had given her, before slipping easily through the narrow gap.

Once she was completely inside, she stopped.

She was in Kasumi's room...

…At least, she _thought_ she was.

The furniture was the same—the bed was across the room to the left where it always was,  
the familiar bedspread crumpled into a heap in the center. And over to the right, next to her  
desk was her vanity mirror (not that she ever used it the way it was meant to be used); several  
books she'd borrowed from Doctor Tofu were piled high on its surface.

But the entire room itself... it seemed _bigger_ somehow; five times its normal size, and…  
and _**dirty**_.

The floor and furniture were littered with junk. Half-eaten food and dirty clothes were slung  
everywhere… over the small garbage can next to the vanity table; Kasumi's beloved potted  
plant next to her bed; her small bedside lamp. Everywhere Akane looked was trash and filth.

…It may have looked like Kasumi's room, but it wasn't...

And now, turning to regard the door she had entered through, Akane could see clearly what  
had been blocking her entrance: Kasumi's large wardrobe had been moved directly in front  
of the door—the wood splintered and busted from Akane's battle to get inside.

"I don't mean to interrupt your investigating, 'Sug," came Ukyo's voice as she poked her  
head in the door. "But could you move a bit? You're blockin' the only entrance."

Akane nodded quickly, suddenly embarrassed. This was no time to get caught up in the  
moment—she had to help Kasumi any way she could! Stepping carefully over the fallen  
wardrobe, she moved closer to the wall and out of the way.

Ukyo gave a low whistle as she finally stepped through the door, surveying the disaster  
area. "Wow," she muttered, trying to take everything in. "Kasumi wasn't kidding. What a

pigsty!"

Her reaction mirrored everyone else's as they all slowly filed into the room, staring in  
wide-eyed wonder at the mess. Even though they'd expected it, there was something very  
strange about seeing Kasumi's room in such a state—unnatural, somehow, and  
disconcerting—and yet, it was comforting at the same time.

…_**This**_ was the best Gabriel could do…?

This nightmare was as good as beat!

Akane herself was feeling a lot more confident now that they'd made it inside—after all, it  
was just a messy room. Surely Kasumi would see it, not freak out too terribly, and their exit  
door would appear. What could be easier than that?!

Feeling helpful, she picked up an empty box of Pocky that was lying on the floor beside her,  
and shoved it quickly into the fallen wardrobe. There! The battle was halfway over!

"Oh, my," said Kasumi, surveying the room with a mixture of discouragement, unease, and  
borderline dislike. "I don't even know where to begin," she lamented.

Akane watched as her older sister began pacing around the room, her hands clutching at her  
apron nervously. It was the closest she'd ever seen Kasumi to being frightened. Well, not _frightened_,  
exactly… if anything, she looked anxious and overwhelmed. Not scared…

…And for some reason, _**that **_is what really worried Akane.

Though she was trying to stay positive, she couldn't shake the feeling that this was all too easy.

Stepping away from the wall, she began to walk towards her sister. Kasumi was standing  
by the small four-poster bed, staring sadly at the unmade comforter and wrinkled sheets,  
shaking her head with sorrow; she was just leaning over to pick up the large comforter and  
shake it out—when she stopped, startled, as a loud scream tore throughout the room.

It took Akane a few seconds to realize the scream was her own.

There, standing directly on her foot was a giant cockroach.

…_**Smiling **_up at her...

A scream froze in her throat; her mind went blank. Fear, surprise, shock—all of them held  
her motionless and unable to move. And then she noticed its eyes… an all too familiar shade  
of blue… a color Akane was quickly growing to despise.

But that brief moment was all the distraction she needed… as if by instinct, her right fist  
lashed out on its own... sending the unwanted insect flying across the room, its journey  
cut short only because a wall was there, blocking its path.

But as Akane followed its trajectory, she noticed something else as well…

…That wasn't the only cockroach.

-- T -- G --

Nabiki was dealing with a cockroach of her own…

Gabriel was watching her closely; like a predator sizing its prey.

He had yet to speak a word since her imprisonment, but seemed rather content to walk  
back and forth in front of the mirror, silently taunting her.

It was getting old rather fast…

…But Nabiki refused to let him see her frustration; sense her impatience, or the anger  
which had been steadily boiling since she'd first realized she'd been tricked. Akane wasn't  
the only one who knew how to use anger… but Nabiki knew how to use it _well_.

He may have caught her off guard once—it wouldn't happen again.

Finally, Gabriel seemed to grow tired of his pacing and began drawing closer. He was either  
ready to start gloating, or make nice—Nabiki was expecting the former.

"So, how is my future sister-in-law?" he asked, leaning in towards the mirror, his unearthly  
eyes on her.

"I've been better."

He laughed at that—a deep, unnatural sound; one that filled the entire space in the room.

"I know what you must be thinking," he told her, his expression a perfect imitation of sympathy.  
"But you didn't _really_ think I'd give you back your mother, did you? No one's _**that**_ gullible… right?  
And if they are… then they _**deserve**_ to be taken advantage of… wouldn't you agree, Nabiki?"

Somehow, she managed to smile despite the giant rock in her chest.

Gabriel grinned appreciatively. "I knew you'd handle this maturely," he went on, looking pleased  
with himself. "Should we renegotiate then…? I may not be able to give you back your mother,  
Nabiki… but what I offered you before… all of it… _that_ I can still do."

Nabiki kept her voice cool and collected as best she could. "Why renegotiate at all…? You  
got what you wanted."

"You're right," he agreed, laughing good-naturedly, "I did. I don't have to do this, but... you'll be  
family soon... I'd hate for Akane to think I mistreated and lied to her dear sister. Think of this as  
my humble way of paying you off, so to speak." Suddenly serious, he leaned closer to the mirror;  
his eyes dark. "We don't_have_ to be enemies, Nabiki…"

Finally, she was able to conjure a _genuine_ smile. "Then I'm afraid we have a small problem,  
Gabriel. You see… I'm much better at making enemies than friends… and frankly… I don't  
want you in the family."

She could see the good-guy routine crumbling around him at her refusal—watched as the good  
humor drained from his face. Now—_now_ he looked angry—an impenetrable darkness, sinister  
and dangerous, like the shadows he wrapped himself in. "Let me explain this to you the only way  
I know how, Nabiki," he told her; voice flat; eyes hard. "_This_ game… _my_ game… I've already  
won. All that's left is for your sister to come to me… to _beg_ me to let you go. _You_," he told her,  
his eyes growing wilder by the second, "were the last card I needed in order to win this game. And  
I don't intend to lose, Nabiki…"

"Prepare to be disappointed," she replied.

He shook his head and stepped closer, his hand on the mirror. "So stubborn…"

It happened so suddenly—his hand coming through the mirror; Nabiki frozen to the spot—cold  
fingers slowly wrapping themselves around her throat, choking her. She could do nothing but stand  
there—gasping, eyes wide, struggling to breathe.

"My game…" he whispered, his hand slowly withdrawing, "my rules…"

The pressure around her neck suddenly disappeared, and feeling dizzy, Nabiki put a shaky hand  
against the glass to steady herself. It took a moment for her to regain her composure… but when  
she did, she lifted her head bravely, meeting his eyes without fear. "Then," she began, the words  
coming with difficulty, "let the games… begin."

Gabriel nodded as he took a step back; an arrogant smile back on his face. "I'm afraid the game  
is well underway…" Without another word he vanished, leaving behind only shadows in his wake;  
and Nabiki, trapped within the mirror.

She smiled at the place where he had been standing moments before.

"I wasn't talking… about your game..."

-- T -- G --

Akane's earlier scream seemed to echo around the room.

She could hear Shampoo and Ukyo beating them with their weapons of choice, yelling battle  
cries with each failed and successful strike; Akane chose a more hands on approach—with bare  
fists, and anything lying around she could throw. Nabiki, oddly enough, didn't seem bothered by  
them in the least… she was moving trash around with her foot, looking bored and unbothered by  
the whole thing. But Kasumi…

…**Now** she looked terrified.

There was nothing cute, sweet, or endearing about _these_.

Akane turned towards the sound of her sister's quiet whimpering. Not only were the giant  
cockroaches slowly filling the room, but the trash and garbage had been steadily increasing as  
well. At first, the floor had been only _lightly_ covered by dirt, grime, and filth… but now, it was  
piling higher and higher, slowly making its way towards the ceiling. It made movement  
difficult—forcing them to practically _wade_ through the trash.

To say it was gross would be putting it mildly... Akane couldn't even take a step without  
putting her foot in something slimy and disgusting—and the cockroaches were everywhere,  
smiling unnervingly. Several were wandering around the room, victims of Shampoo and  
Ukyo—headless, but still breathing as they stumbled around blindly.

It seemed Kasumi's nightmare was quickly starting to make a _lot_ more sense.

But still, there was no sign of any door…

And just when Akane thought things couldn't get any worse… she heard the flapping  
of wings.

All around her, cockroaches were starting to fly. Their tiny wings were now large and steadily  
expanding, lifting them into the air. The sound was unbelievably close, and Akane was forced to  
dive quickly as one flew directly over her head; one of its thin, skeletal legs lightly brushing her  
hair as it passed. She could see Kasumi across the room, on top of her bed, hovering on a small  
pile of gathered trash. She was wringing her hands on her apron, staring around the room with  
wide, scared eyes—and three of the cockroaches were steadily moving towards her—one of  
them, through the air.

Akane searched desperately for the others—Ukyo was still near the door, farthest from the bed,  
and Shampoo was across from her, guarding a small area of her own as she lashed out with her  
bonborie—they were both engaging two cockroaches at once. Nabiki sat on the top of Kasumi's  
desk, cockroach-less as she calmly watched everything unfold—it was definitely odd how the  
cockroaches were ignoring her, but then again, Akane wouldn't put anything beneath Nabiki.  
And even if she could help, Nabiki wasn't a fighter.

Which meant Akane was the closest…

"Just a minute, Kasumi," she called, pulling herself up from her own personal pile of trash. "I'm  
coming! Just hang on!"

Just as she was making her way to her sister, she felt something—_many_ something's—suddenly  
falling from above. With a feeling of dread, she slowly lifted her head, looking up. Flies, maggots,  
ants—insects of all sorts were dropping down around her, raining from the sky. Akane screamed  
as she started brushing them away, shaking them from her hair and off her body. She heard Kasumi  
scream across the room, and glanced over at her older sister, her own heart pounding with worry:  
Kasumi was now sitting amidst the trash, cowering in a ball, eyes screwed tightly shut as she fought  
off her own rain of bugs.

"The door! Akane, the door!"

The filth in the room continued to grow from beneath her, pushing her higher and higher, an inch  
at a time… but as soon as she heard Ukyo's shout, she felt some semblance of sanity return.  
Desperately, a hand raised to shield her eyes and face, she started looking around the room,  
searching for the door, praying she had been telling the truth—and true to her word, there it  
was—right beside Kasumi's vanity mirror.

Nabiki, having been the closest the moment it appeared, was already there... and Akane could  
see Ukyo and Shampoo slowly making their way over—weapons slashing through the air, taking  
out cockroaches and insects alike as they moved across the room. But Kasumi hadn't moved an  
inch. She was still huddled on her bed, not moving, trash slowly collecting all around her.

"Kasumi, the door's here! Please, you have to get up!"

She still remained unresponsive… and Akane tried her best to increase her speed. But no matter  
how hard she pushed, it still felt like no progress was being made—she was moving at a snail's pace.

"Kasumi-hun, please listen to Akane—you need to get up—if you don't hurry, the door will close!"

The eldest Tendo daughter didn't say a word. Instead she started shaking her head emphatically,  
her arms flying around her as she tried to push away the falling bugs—she was using her apron as  
a make-shift shield, and Akane could see she was starting to panic. And now, the nightmare was  
going at full-force—the trash building even faster.

The door was quickly becoming buried, and everyone was gathered around it, waiting on them.

"Go through!" Akane shouted to Shampoo, Ukyo, and Nabiki. "I'll get Kasumi, you guys get  
out of here. We'll be fine!"

The purple haired Amazon merely shrugged. "Is Akane's death…" and disappeared through the  
door without a backward glance; Nabiki having exited moments before. Akane didn't have time  
to dwell on them—turning her attention back on Kasumi, she started making her way through the trash,  
ignoring the falling bugs as best she could. The cockroaches had finally reached her sister, and Kasumi  
was simply standing before them, kicking out uselessly with her feet, her eyes full of tears—that alone  
was enough to make Akane furious... she couldn't even remember the last time she'd seen Kasumi cry!

The moment she made it to the bed, she started attacking every cockroach she could reach. The  
garbage had piled so high that most of the cockroaches had been forced to draw back their wings—so  
she focused on the braver of the monsters—targeting the ones that posed the biggest threat to Kasumi;  
taking them out as quickly as she could. Despite the threat of being buried or crushed by the rising  
garbage, she was finding a lot of the junk helpful in dealing with the smiling cockroaches—the potted  
plant had risen along with the trash, allowing her to take out several that way; and a broken part of  
the bed-post helped take out several more…

After disposing of another one, she kicked it onto its back, piling it on top of several more as  
she used their large, rounded shells like stepping stools to reach the highest corner where her  
sister was...

Without wasting a moment, she grabbed Kasumi's hand and yanked her off her personal mound of  
trash, leading her quickly down her unsteady, make-shift staircase—her eyes on the door. Barely  
any of Kasumi's furniture was visible anymore… the trash and garbage had consumed almost  
everything, leaving only the top of the dresser and the vanity mirror uncovered.

And the door… but only barely…

It was over half-way closed, and the trash was still growing.

To Akane's surprise, Ukyo was leaning through the door; half her body jutting through,  
her arms reaching for them. "You're almost here," she encouraged, though Akane could  
see Ukyo's face growing paler as she watched the trash quickly building around her…

And Kasumi, most likely in shock, still hadn't said a word. She continued to tug at her hair  
with her free hand, trying to shake off the collection of bugs that were caught there.

Akane's hand on her sister tightened. "Just a little further, Kasumi," she reassured her.

They were quickly sinking into the dregs, and even now, their heads were nearly touching the  
ceiling—but the door was right there, right in sight—Akane could have reached out and _touched_  
it—but they had to go through _**now**_.

Ukyo smiled in relief. "You had me worried there, 'Sug!" Grabbing Akane's hand, she started  
to pull her towards the door—a definite feat, considering the heavy piles of trash she was trying  
to drag them thru. Akane tightened her hold on Kasumi, pulling her along with her.

Then… everything happened so fast…

She heard Ukyo yell out something in warning… turned to see what was wrong, and heard a  
cry of pain from behind… she had just enough time to see a spindly leg wrapped securely  
around her sister's body, pulling her away from the door; away from her.

"No!" Akane yelled, her voice breaking. "No! Let go!"

Kasumi's frightened screams seemed to fill the room…

And all around them, trash continued to increase… the cockroach was pulling Kasumi  
in one direction, the garbage pulling her down deeper… and during all of this, Ukyo was  
still pulling Akane closer towards the exit.

Then it happened.

…Moments later, the garbage exploded all around them…

And Akane lost hold of Kasumi's hand…

-- T -- G --

When she awoke, she was in the hallway.

Shampoo and Ukyo were hovering above her… concerned looks on both their faces. She  
could see Nabiki standing off by herself, leaning against the wall, her face an unreadable mask.

But where was Kasumi…?

Flashes of memory, hard and fast, came without warning…

…_Kasumi's terrified screams… _

…_A sudden, unexpected explosion of trash..._

Akane quickly sat up; her heart racing as her eyes desperately searched the length of the hall.  
She was too scared to say her sister's name out loud; too afraid to call out, and hear no response.

And she kept seeing Kasumi's scared, frightened face… kept seeing her in a state of shock,  
pulling bugs out of her hair…

"A—Akane…"

Someone lightly touched her arm—Akane turned to see Ukyo staring at her with sad, sympathetic  
eyes—and her heart plummeted. She quickly looked away, shrugging off the hand.

Her eyes stung; her chest _**hurt**_.

"Kasumi… she didn't make it out, Akane. I'm sorry."

Shaking her head, she fought not to cry.

This couldn't be happening…

Kasumi was fine… she was _**fine**_.

"Kasumi gone… Akane understand, yes?"

Again, she shook her head, ignoring Shampoo's words; her eyes wildly searching the walls.

The door… she had to find the door…

If she could just get back inside, she _knew_ she could find her again… and this time, she'd hold  
on tighter… she wouldn't turn her back, even for a second... she'd hold that horrible doorknob  
as long as it took… kiss Gabriel as many times as he asked… just get her back inside that door!

Tears obscured her vision, making it harder to see…

Yet, everywhere she looked, she saw the same thing…

…_Faded yellow wallpaper, dancing bears posing in every direction… _

…_The only thing remaining from her sister's nightmare…_

…But still no door.

"Akane… are you alright, hon?_"_

No.

No, of course she wasn't alright!

Kasumi couldn't be gone…

…Because if she was… it was all Akane's fault…

As if in response to her guilt, a single piece of paper seemed to drift before her eyes—falling  
from the ceiling, to land neatly by her feet. With shaky hands, Akane picked it up. It was drawn  
in Kasumi's pretty, expert way—a picture of a room with a single piece of trash littering the floor.

Seconds later, the unseen clock once again struck the hour, bringing reality crashing down  
around her.

They were still in the game…

And Kasumi was gone.

---------------------  
_End of Chapter 10_  
---------------------

(Really Long)  
**Author's Notes**

PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!!!!

…It had to be done.

Well, technically, after Nabiki got difficult, it didn't… but this was the way it was originally  
planned… so what's a girl to do? Besides, that's how it was in the book anyway. I totally  
copied the nightmare… I thought, in a weird way, it sort of fit Kasumi. And seeing someone  
'dying' from trash is definitely an interesting way to go.

And of course the whole wallpaper thing is a very obvious rip off of "The Yellow Wallpaper"  
by Charlotte Perkins Gilman—one of the most interesting, most disturbing (and one of my favorite)  
short stories ever. But I added the dancing bears, lol.

Oh! And 'onechan'—I'm just so used to hearing Akane say that in the subtitles, and it makes  
it less redundant than using 'older sister' over and over again, so that's my excuse…

And I know I promised some Ranma in this chapter… but I'm afraid I just couldn't fit him in… I  
had enough trouble handling Nabiki. But believe me, he WILL appear in the next one! Actually,  
one of my favorite scenes is coming up in Chapter 11—the one scene I've been dying to write since  
I started!

And in the next chapter it's Akane's turn! Plus, the 'hunt' for Ryoga begins!

Ah, and guess what else?!

This story's almost done!! I'm guessing, perhaps 3 more chapters… maybe a short little epilogue…  
who knows.

And in case I haven't mentioned this yet, I have decided to end this fanfic at Volume 1. I really have  
no desire to stretch this out another two volumes, and have decided continuing it past volume 1 is sort  
of unnecessary. Plus, I'd much rather move on to something else…

So I'm starting to think I may actually FINISH this one!! Yay!!

Nabiki's nightmare: I'm sorry to those of you who were disappointed with her decision, or saw it  
as unjustified. If it helps, just look at it as a small moment of weakness. She is human, after all. And,  
I mean, it _is_ their mother... it's apparent what a huge impact her disappearance/death had on all of  
them, especially Soun and Kasumi. So given the opportunity, why wouldn't Nabiki try to get her back  
if she could?

If it helps, look at it this way: Akane gets to rule over some freaky, cool world with a hot guy who's  
head-over-heels in love with her—and they get their mother back. Seems like an okay trade to me. ;)

And let's be honest—_**if**_ Ranma weren't in the picture, what girl _wouldn't_ want to go off and be  
with Gabriel?! I mean, he's hot, powerful, can give you anything—and look how far he's willing  
to go to get the woman he loves?! Okay, so he's twisted and probably has a couple screws loose…  
but really, they can work on that.

Besides, knowing Ranma and how much he hates to lose (not to mention how much he loves Akane)  
he'd get her back no matter what—regardless of any deal Nabiki made with Gabriel. So it's kind of a  
win/win situation any way you look at it.

And we all know Ranma never loses.

Or maybe I'm just not depicting Gabriel as totally awesome and kick-ass as he is in the actual series.  
Oh, wait. That's the third volume.

Err, either way, there's my reasoning behind Nabiki's decision. Feel free to disagree: just thought  
I'd let everyone in on the inner-workings of my mind. And don't worry, everything will be  
explained: including Akane's part in their mothers disappearance.

And REMEMBER TO REVIEW! Even if you HATED something—let me know! Heck, I'll be  
happy if you just write, "I read this" or "this was dumb."

Anyway "this is way too long" so I'm shutting up now. See you in the next chapter!

---------------------------------

You can't think how I depend on you, and when  
you're not there the color goes out of my life."  
Virginia Woolf -- to her sister

--------------------------------


	11. Chapter 11

Small warning: This hasn't been proof-read yet. I sent it to my friends, but they've been busy during the holidays, so I just decided to post it now and add their corrections later. I meant to post it on the first of the year, so I apologize for being late (as if I wasn't late enough already, lol).

(C&C welcome. Not to mention needed)

----------------------  
THE FORGOTTEN GAME  
By: Angela Jewell  
----------------------

Based on the trilogy _The Forbidden Game_ by L.J. Smith

Ranma 1/2 is the creation and property of Rumiko Takahashi. I know some other people and/or companies own it as well, but I'm too lazy to look up who they are. So please don't sue me . . . money is something I have very little of.

***

Volume 1:  
Spellbound

***

Somewhere between day and night  
the winter crawled in  
little bits  
of darkness  
explored old dreams  
revisited  
past nightmares  
behind open doors  
of close memories.

_-Annette Hendley_

***

Chapter 11

***

Akane stared down at the piece of paper in her hand, not really seeing it.

Though she tried to block it out, she could still hear the haunting sounds of the familiar clock; its chimes striking the hour, relentless and loud as it intruded upon the deadly quiet of the hall. But Akane couldn't seem to make herself move for anything. She felt empty and drained, her eyes burning as she continued to stare at the only thing left of her sister.

Kasumi—kind, sweet, and innocent. Whose biggest fear had been a crumpled piece of paper littering an otherwise tidy room . . . who always saw the best in everyone; no matter who they were, or what they'd done. To force someone like that to confront creatures out of their worst nightmare—to come face-to-face with horrors beyond their most terrible imaginings—it wasn't _fair_.

There had to be a catch, a loop-hole, _som__e_thing—some way for Gabriel to bring Kasumi back into the game. He had given her an out with his riddle before. . . surely he could think of another. After all, Kasumi was off limits. _Everyone_ knew that. Shouldn't she get some sort of do-over? A free spin, or an extra life? If Gabriel insisted, Akane would even kiss him as many times as he wanted—he could touch her, and she wouldn't take a swing.

Just as long as the reward was her sister.

Akane allowed those thoughts to propel her to her feet. All this time, she had barely registered Shampoo and Ukyo hovering beside her; of Nabiki standing against the wall, watching her with interest. But she was acutely aware of their presence _now_—all the more so because they held no place in her current thoughts. At the moment, her mind was focused on one thing, and one thing only: Finding Gabriel.

She'd _make_ him fix this.

As the sound of the echoing chimes began to fade away, the hall was shrouded in silence once more. But whether it was a good omen or a bad one, Akane didn't know. And she didn't care.

Either way, she needed to ditch the others. . .

T * * * G

Ukyo continued to watch Akane closely; not liking the look in her eyes one bit. That girl was up to something. She could _taste_ it.

Of course it wouldn't take a scientist (or even Nabiki) to figure _that_ one out. Just moments ago, Akane had been on the brink of collapse, fighting a losing battle with grief. Then suddenly she was back to herself, life shining behind eyes that had been dead only moments before.

Akane's change had come out of nowhere, as quickly as the sudden droning from that damn annoying clock.

It didn't make any sense. At one point, Ukyo was convinced she'd have to scoop her up with her spatula and try _carrying_ her . . . but now, here she was, her eyes scanning the hall, acting as if nothing was wrong. What could possibly be going on in that head of hers? She couldn't possibly think Kasumi was alive somewhere, could she? How could _anyone_ have survived that mess?

Still, Ukyo understood *her* reaction—she had watched her go through the entire spectrum of grieving right before her very eyes.

But Nabiki . . . now _she_ was a mystery.

Akane's grief had been an open wound—deep, raw, and frightening in its intensity—yet plain for all to see. But her sister Nabiki acted like she didn't bear a wound at all. Ukyo was sure there was more going on here than a simple case of ice-queen withdrawal, but she had no way to prove it or explain it.

In any case, her reaction was far from normal. She'd stood there, watching dispassionately from outside the hall as her older sister was crushed and buried in a room full of trash . . . and then, when Akane was in the midst of her nervous breakdown, she'd done nothing but stand there, silent.

Ukyo had always assumed that when the chips were down, Nabiki would step-up and act human just like the rest of them. Today however, she'd been proven wrong.

Was it all an act? Or did Nabiki know something they didn't . . .?

Either way, Ukyo didn't have time to dwell on it. Akane was suddenly clearing her throat as she tried to get all of their attention, a look of determination shining in her clear brown eyes. Ukyo actually sighed in relief. It seemed the other girl was finally ready to resume the game.

"We need to split up," Akane announced, looking at each of them in turn. Though she had flirted briefly with the idea of simply bolting . . . the thought of leaving Nabiki behind to fend for herself had given her pause. In the very least, splitting up would ensure her sister's safety.

"Split up?" Ukyo asked, watching her warily. "Are you sure that's a good idea, Akane? All that's left is you and Ryoga, right? Don't you think it would be quicker sticking together?"

Akane shook her head, having already considered this very argument. "Who knows how long it could take to find him," she told her. "It's not like Ryoga's the type to sit still and wait for us_—" like Kasumi_, she thought, but couldn't bring herself to say. "But if we split up, maybe we can find the last two doors and get them both over and done with. Nabiki faced _her_ nightmare alone, didn't she? Maybe—maybe the same could be true for Ryoga and I. Anyway, it wouldn't hurt to try," she added with a shrug.

Shampoo and Nabiki looked like they didn't care one way or the other, and eventually Ukyo grudgingly nodded. "Alright then," she agreed, "we split up."

T * * * G

It was quickly decided that Shampoo would go with Nabiki, and Akane and Ukyo would go together—though in all honesty, Akane would have much preferred Shampoo. She trusted Ukyo a lot more with her sister than she did the Amazon. But Ukyo must have somehow sensed something was up. She had stubbornly insisted on going with Akane, and had been unwilling to bend even an inch.

Akane had grinned and bared it.

But now, after walking down the same hall for what seemed hours, she was beginning to regret not putting up more of a fight. Shampoo she could have easily ditched by now—just a simple, "hey, I'm going on ahead," and she could have met Gabriel and saved Kasumi already. But the other girl was proving to be frustratingly obstinate. Akane had kindly suggested Ukyo sit down and take a rest while she went on ahead—but the chef had turned her down flat, insisting they stay together.

Now here she was, right back where she started—trying to figure out the best way to ditch her stubborn companion. And worse, she could _feel_ time slipping away as the hallway continued to stretch on before her; no turns or stairs in sight.

Akane was quickly growing desperate. If she explained her plan to Ukyo, she doubted the other girl would simply smile and agree to stay put. More than likely, she'd want a piece of Gabriel for herself—one good hard whack for all the hell he'd put her through. So what other choice was there except to sprint on ahead, and pray the other girl couldn't keep up? Without a spatula strapped to her back, Akane definitely held the advantage, and jogging every morning had given her decent enough stamina . . . but she also knew better than to underestimate the girl behind her.

If nothing else, Ukyo could be frighteningly tenacious when crossed. Like Shampoo, she'd managed to track down Ranma and Mr. Saotome easily enough, hadn't she? And the only place Akane had to escape to was straight ahead. . .

Still, there were no other options, and she couldn't afford to waste anymore time.

It was a chance she was going to have to take.

Akane took several long, deep breaths, preparing her lungs for the journey ahead. First though, she glanced casually over her shoulder to check how much of a lead she'd been granted—more than she'd feared, but less than she'd hoped. Luckily for her, Ukyo seemed distracted. She had turned her attention to the wall now, her eyes tracing over the complex patterns, seemingly unaware of her companion's plans.

Even more so, Akane was careful not to draw suspicion. She slowly picked up her pace, steadily drawing out the space between them—silently relieved that Ukyo seemed more interested in the wallpaper than in her.

And then, when she was ready, she took one more long deep breath, gave a silent prayer—and _ran_.

Almost immediately she could hear Ukyo shouting behind her, her voice raised in anger as she quickly gave chase; her demands to stop going ignored. All of Akane's willpower was focused on _not_ turning to glance behind her . . . afraid that if she did, she'd prove to be the stupid klutz Ranma always accused her of being. Instead, she kept her eyes glued straight ahead—determined to keep them that way.

And yet, no matter how hard or how fast she ran, the hallway continued to stretch on like before—a one-way path that showed no signs of ending. With a sinking feeling, Akane realized she couldn't keep this pace up forever.

Something had to change.

Another idea came to her—just as stupid as the last—but again, what other choice did she have? Akane didn't slow her pace in the slightest. Still running at top speed, she cupped both hands over her mouth, and yelling at the top of her lungs, shouted: "Gabriel, I need to talk to you! NOW!"

She could hear the sound of her companion's footsteps following closely behind, Ukyo's voice incredulous and shrill as she shouted back, "What are you thinking, Akane? You SHOULD be calling for Ryoga—not _that_ jackass!"

Akane didn't waste her energy answering her, and to her relief, her silence was soon rewarded.

Within seconds a bright light exploded from out of nowhere, blindingly intense as it began to quickly envelop the entire hall. Akane immediately closed her eyes stopped running, her hands seeking the familiar solidarity of the wall beside her.

When the light had finally receded, she cautiously opened one eye—surprised to find herself once again in the dark, with only a lone candle on the wall across from her to light the way.

But it didn't take Akane long to remember her pursuer. Turning around, she saw that the hallway was now empty. Ukyo was gone.

Well that was easy, she thought with a smile. She was sure Ukyo was fine. More than likely Gabriel had dumped her back with Shampoo and Nabiki, or maybe even Ranma. The okonomiyaki chef had already faced her own nightmare, after all—and from what Akane understood, that meant she was now off limits. At least . . . she _hoped_ that's what it meant. It wouldn't do to have to search for Ukyo AND Ryoga once she finished here.

Still, Akane felt encouraged. Gabriel wouldn't have helped her ditch Ukyo simply to gloat—he had the upper hand now, and she was sure he'd be willing to make a deal.

With that thought spurring her on, Akane turned back around. Only to come up short.

She was at a dead-end, facing a blank wall.

Akane frowned in disappointment. For once, she had _expected_ to find Gabriel standing before her, not to find her route suddenly blocked. But then, something on the ground caught her attention. It was lying several feet away at the base of the wall, and Akane stared down at it, feeling uneasy.

It looked . . . like a piece of paper.

Moving nearer, she bent down to take a closer look. It WAS a piece of paper, she realized, and something told her that it looked familiar. With trembling fingers, she forced herself to pick it up, though the feeling of foreboding grew stronger with each passing second.

The paper was unnaturally white and glossy in her hand—the surface as empty as it had been the moment she'd first removed it from the box of the game. This had been the paper for her nightmare then; the one she hadn't bothered to draw. Troubled, her eyes returned to the wall suddenly blocking her path.

"So," a voice spoke up, confidently arrogant, "did you miss me?"

Akane stiffened at the sound of his voice, temporarily thrown off guard. . .

Gabriel seemed to have a knack for showing up at the worst possible moment; namely, whenever she _least_ expected him to. But he HAD shown up, she congratulated herself; which meant her plan had worked. Standing slowly, she took care to school her expression, determined to be as unreadable as possible. Still, after she turned around, she paused; thrown off once again by his unnatural beauty.

Gabriel looked perfect—just like he always did. The brightness of his blue eyes were flashing against the pale light from the lamp, his blood-red clothing fitting his body like a second skin; they mingled with the darkness of the shadows, making him appear even more unearthly and beautiful than ever.

And yet, as Akane watched him, she couldn't get the image of Kasumi's face out of her mind. _Her_ dress had been torn, her face dirty, her hair a tangled mess as she struggled through pile after pile of rancid garbage.

And here was Gabriel. Not a speck of dirt on him.

Akane had to force herself to stop and take a deep, calming breath—silently reminding herself of the reason she was here—_why_ she'd been so determined to speak with him in the first place. "I want you to give Kasumi back to me," she told him, struggling to keep her voice under control—to make it clear this was a request, not a demand.

But Gabriel only shook his head, looking amused. "Now why in the world would I do that?" he asked her, his tone reproachful. "I warned you before, didn't I? I _told_ you someone would die. . ."

Akane took a small step towards him. "I _know_ that," she told him, her voice close to breaking. "But why—_why _did it have to be Kasumi?!"

"Should I have taken Nabiki instead?" he asked her, almost gently.

With difficulty, Akane lowered her eyes, suddenly ashamed. "No. No, of course not," she told him forcefully. "I just . . . _please_, I just want my sister. I'll kiss you if you want—I'll do just about _any_thing—just _please_, give her back to me!"

Gabriel looked at her, a softness touching his expression. "I can't rescind an offer that's already been rejected," he told her, and with his eyes on her, he took a small step forward. "But I can bring her back, Akane. I _want_ to bring her back to you."

"Then _do_ it," she all but pleaded.

He paused for a moment, his blue eyes intense as he watched her. And then he said, very quietly, "You can't possibly win. You must know that by now. That wall," he explained, gesturing to the blank wall behind her, "is the entrance to your nightmare. Without a door, you can't hope to face it—and if you can't face it, you can't win."

Akane gleamed only one important detail from that logic. "But if I win—if I _beat_ you—then you have to give her back! You can't just _keep_ her here!"

Like a door slamming closed, his expression grew fierce; any trace of gentleness vanishing right along with it. With a speed Akane didn't know he possessed, Gabriel moved towards her, forcing her up against the wall as both of his hands shot out to trap her there. When Gabriel spoke, his words were filled with bitterness, and laced with warning. "Stop thinking you have a chance to win this, Akane. You CAN'T. You _WON'T_—because I won't LET you."

The fire in his gaze made her catch her breath, and again, Akane realized how dangerous the man standing before her could be. And though her mind knew this, like before, her pride refused to give even an inch. "If you're trying to intimidate me into giving up, it's not going to work. . ."

A frustrated growl escaped his lips at her continued show of defiance, and Gabriel narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Do I need to remind you of what happened the LAST time I put a deal on the table for you and you refused it? Should I take the wandering idiot next?" he asked her, his voice tight, "or maybe Ranma? How many people need to die before you start taking me seriously? Is your freedom—is your _pride_—really worth the lives of your family and friends?"

"Of _course_ it's not."

"Then what is it you _want_, Akane?" he interrupted her, his voice pained. "I can give you _every_thing. I can make you happier than you ever dreamed—happier than that _boy_ could ever hope to!" With his eyes trained on her, he leaned closer, his splayed fingers curling into fists. "So why? _Why _won't you be mine?!"

Akane stared at him in disbelief; the answer so clear, she was surprised she had to explain it at all. "Do you _honestly_ not know?" she demanded testily. "You kidnapped my family and friends, Gabriel. You've _tortured_ them, threatened me, and you _still_ can't figure out why I don't like you?" Pausing, she searched his eyes—looking for some sign that he understood—that he realized what he was doing was _wrong_. But Gabriel only stared back with an innocent frustration that seemed as foreign on his face as the irises of his eyes. "When you like someone," she went on slowly, "you let them make their own choice . . . you don't force and manipulate them like this."

"My world is different from yours," he answered simply. "I want you, Akane. And this is the only way I can have you."

"But I'm not some possession," she shot back quietly. "I'm not some prize to be won. Even if I lose and have to stay here, I'll hate you—I'll never forgive you for doing this to me!"

Gabriel's expression remained firm. "You'll have an eternity to change your mind," he told her sharply, and Akane silently fumed as she tore her eyes from his.

Apparently his skull was thicker than even Ranma's—trying to talk sense into him was like trying to teach P-Chan not to act like a pig. It just wasn't in their nature. Suddenly, Akane felt resigned. "You're not going to give Kasumi back to me, are you?" she asked at length, disheartened. "If I want her back, I have to surrender—that's what you're saying, isn't it?"

With effort, he lowered his arms and finally stepped away from her. "Well no, not exactly," Gabriel admitted.

At that, Akane immediately brightened, and a relieved smile crossed her face. "So if I win I _CAN_ get Kasumi back, right. . .? I'm right, aren't I?!"

Gabriel didn't offer a reply, but gave a curt nod.

All of a sudden, Akane couldn't keep the smile off her face. She put a hand to her heart, relieved beyond measure. There was hope then—once again, she felt encouraged. But then a suspicion crossed her mind, and her heart fell. "She'll be okay, won't she?" she demanded, trying to tramp down the image of a cold, dead Kasumi lying broken by the koi pond.

"She'll be fine," he assured her offhandedly. "Not that it matters. You've already lost, Akane . . . you just don't realize it yet."

Akane's expression remained firm. "I have no intention of losing," she told him as she turned her attention back towards the blank piece of paper clutched in her hand.

"Then it seems we're at an impasse," Gabriel replied, gesturing to the wall behind her. "Tell me, what will you do now Akane? Break the wall, pound it? Yell and scream as the little time you have left continues to run out?"

Akane shook her head, not looking the least bit fazed. "No, not at all," she replied, as she reached into the pocket of her skirt and withdrew a crayon she'd stowed away earlier; holding it as tightly as she would a lifeline. Surprise showed briefly on Gabriel's face as he noticed the innocent piece of orange wax, and then he gave a resigned sigh.

"Akane," he began uncertainly.

Akane ignored him. "A door," she said softly, more to herself than to him. She looked back at Gabriel, conviction in her eyes. "I may not remember everything . . . but I know it started with a door." Gripping the paper in one hand and the crayon in the other, she bent down and began to draw in earnest—a large orange rectangle, followed by a lopsided oval that was supposed to signify a doorknob.

Without warning, a deafening sound, like wood cracking, exploded down the length of the hallway, and Akane turned, watching in fascination as a tall rectangular shape began to carve itself into the smooth structure of the wall before her. Before long, the wall was no longer blank, and Akane found herself staring at an old wooden door; hauntingly familiar.

"Akane. . ." Gabriel tried again, his voice low and measured as he called out to her, and against her better judgment, Akane turned to regard him again. "Are you sure you want to remember this?" he asked her, his eyes full of honest concern—and silent warning. "If you give in now, you won't have to go through it all again. . ."

For the briefest of moments, Akane actually found herself hesitating.

_Did_ she really want to do this, she wondered? This memory. . . that door. . . she had blocked it out for a reason, hadn't she? Gabriel _knew_ what waited for her on the other side, and she knew it was nothing good.

But then, effortlessly, she'd remember Shampoo—terrified but fighting anyway—Ukyo and Nabiki, fierce and determined, despite their fear. And Kasumi . . . gone now . . . and all because of the man standing before her. And suddenly Akane was ashamed for hesitating for even a second.

Crumpling up the drawing in her hand, she felt the uncertainty drain away. "I can't run from it forever," she told him. And then, before she could change her mind, Akane took a hold of the doorknob and pulled open the door, stepping within.

Gabriel watched her go, his eyes unreadable as the door swung closed behind her. "You fool," he muttered softly before he too disappeared, leaving the hallway in total darkness.

T * * * G

She remembered this room.

It was her grandfather's basement . . . his secret study.

As a child it had been kept under lock and key, closed off to Akane and her sisters no matter how many times they begged and pleaded to take a look inside. As a result, the room had cost her many sleepless nights—nights she'd spent wide awake, imagining all the treasures that lay just beyond that forbidden door.

And then one day, Nabiki dared her to step inside. . .

Now, after so many years, here she was again—feeling just like a five year old, who'd just discovered that monsters were real. Like before, an eerie stillness filled the room, stifling in its intensity, making it seem as if she were standing in the middle of a faded photograph, forever frozen in this exact moment of time. And Akane _still_ couldn't shake the feeling that she was a trespasser—that even now, she wasn't supposed to be here.

_Something very bad happened in this place,_ she thought, her eyes surveying the room.

On the surface, there didn't seem to be anything special about it. A desk stood against the front wall, papers strewn carelessly over its surface, a globe sitting proudly on its upper shelf. An oddly shaped lamp from Africa stood tall on a small table to its left, providing the only light in the room, dim though it was.

Across the room, on the other side of the study, was a wide bookcase that stretched across the far wall, its shelves overflowing with ancient tomes, scrolls, and books of all shapes and sizes. A leather chair rested beside it with a small matching footrest. Overall, the room itself was very neat and tidy, aside from the desk. But the lack of windows and the overabundance of dry, brittle paper, left the air feeling stuffy and damp.

But there, the harmless facade ended.

There was a sense of _wrongness_ that hung about the room—permeating danger and ill-will for anyone who entered. It was unnatural and evil, and Akane couldn't understand for the life of her what her grandfather could ever want with such a room. Akane herself wanted to be very, _very_ far away . . . the urge to flee was overwhelming.

Even so, she could almost hear Ranma's voice in her head, surprisingly comforting despite its teasing tone—"Dummy, you're afraid of a _room_?! Hah—and you call yourself a martial artist!"

That's right, she reminded herself. I'm a martial artist. I can't be afraid of some dumb study. Sure, it's creepy . . . but that globe, that lamp . . . everything looks harmless enough.

Akane wasn't able to completely convince herself of that fact, and before she could truly commit herself to it, she heard the sound of a door creaking open behind her; and instinctively, she froze. She knew the door she'd entered through had disappeared the moment she stepped through . . . and yet, for some reason her body refused to let her glance behind; as if afraid to see what she'd find.

Luckily, she didn't need to. Suddenly, a body moved into the peripheral of her vision, light footsteps betraying the fact that she was no longer alone. A girl, no older than five or six, walked right past her, her brown eyes wide with wonder and excitement; moving about the room as if Akane weren't even there.

Akane recognized her instantly.

She was staring at _herself_. . .

And with that realization, a memory flashed—of Akane and her sisters sitting at their grandfather's funeral, bored and restless; their mother dressed in white, crying before his altar as their father tried his best to comfort her. _That's right_, Akane thought dazedly, her eyes returning to the short haired girl who was creeping silently through the room. _Even though mom and dad forbid us to go anywhere near Grandpa's study,_ _Nabiki dared me to. . . and I couldn't say no to a dare. Not even back then._

Akane continued to watch, transfixed, as her six-year old self climbed onto the chair near the desk, and reaching over spun the globe, giggling with forbidden pleasure at the small delight. But for some reason, the sight only infuriated Akane. _How could she look so __happy__? Couldn't she feel the danger—didn't she realize she needed to get out of there?!_ Though she feared it was useless, Akane moved towards her younger-self anyway, her voice strained as she called out, "Dummy! You're not supposed to be here—hurry up and leave!"

If the small girl heard, she didn't respond. Instead, she jumped right off the chair, executing a sloppy drop-kick that cut through the air before she landed roughly on the ground, her arms spread out for balance. She looked pleased with herself; a grin on her face as she complimented herself on a job well done.

Akane was three-seconds away from trying to forcefully remove her from the room . . . until she heard a strange _knocking _sound.

It started low, barely audible, but to a curious and brave six year old, the sound might as well have been a nuclear explosion—her hands dropped from the drawer she'd started sifting through, her eyes immediately seeking the place where the sound had come from.

With her heart beating furiously in her chest, Akane watched the small one carefully, and then followed her gaze.

There, against the far wall, right alongside the bookcase, half-hidden, was another door. Strange markings were painted on the wood, making it clear it wasn't your average broom closet. Akane had no idea how she could have missed it before—not with that strange symbol on the door that looked suspiciously like the rune she'd seen on one of the game cards—an _inverted U_, with a horizontal line cut straight through its center.

But like a _fool_, Akane watched helplessly as her younger-self continued to walk towards it—a silly grin plastered on her face as she imagined all the fun and interesting things that could lie behind _that_.

And Akane panicked. She couldn't let her get to that door.

Moving fast, she reached out to hold her small form back, only to have both her hands go straight through—like mist slipping through her fingers. It didn't slow the curious child one bit. And aside from throwing herself in front of the door, Akane didn't know what else she could do. Her mind raced, heart pounding as she searched desperately for a solution, though none would come.

And then little-Akane had reached the door; her two small hands gripping the doorknob of the closet, _turning _it.

The knocking grew louder. . . but the door didn't budge.

And suddenly, Akane _knew_ what happened next—she could remember things all too clearly now. But like a marionette powerless to move on its own, she could do nothing but stand there and watch—helpless to prevent it.

Little-Akane knew none of this. She glared up at the door in silent condemnation—until her eyes fell back upon the strange symbol etched into the wood. As she stared at it, a voice from the closet seemed to whisper—"trace it." And her little eyes filled with wonder at the sudden command.

Standing on tip toes, she hurried to obey—her tiny hands reaching up, moving slowly over the symbol as she traced it with the lightest of touches. Beneath her hand, the symbol began to pulse and glow. And suddenly, the door creaked open—a bright light spilling forth from out of the door, filling the room.

As the door opened, Akane sank to her knees, the memory of what came next painfully vivid, and she wanted to close her eyes, to shut it out . . . but this was her nightmare, and she knew she had to face it.

First, she heard a scream. The _other_ Akane was standing frozen and terrified before the open door, the light having receded just far enough to allow her a glance inside.

There, a dozen eyes stared back at her, claws and teeth glinting in the darkness; and from deep within, voices began to murmur, an inhuman quality behind each one: "At last, free!" "I want the old man, give me the old man!" "She looks delicious!"

All this time, Akane's younger self stood frozen, too terrified to move. And as she stood there, shaking in fear, the eyes in the closet began to grow bigger, as if headed towards the now open door.

From her place on the floor behind her younger-self, Akane noticed one pair of eyes in particular. They were smaller than the rest, as if belonging to a child—and somehow, they looked less frightening than the harsh red and yellow of the ones who had called out to her before. They were a breathtaking shade of blue, and at the time, she'd never seen anything so lovely—and though unnatural, there was something that made them seem almost human.

More than any of the others, _those_ were the eyes her past-self chose to focus on; comforted by the lack of malice and hatred that was so clear in all the others.

And suddenly Akane knew.

Gabriel. . .

His voice drifted out of the darkness; not inhuman, but that of a young boy. "Please, let _me_ have her! I want her!" But the other voices continued as if they hadn't heard him: "She's such a tiny thing—not much meat" "The old man—give me the man who trapped us here!!" "One human is as good as any other. . ." "I want her—please give her to me!"

Akane watched as her smaller-self fell to her knees, finally spent—and there she began to cry, her small frame shaking with her broken sobs.

_That's_ when Akane heard another voice—one she would have recognized anywhere.

"AKANE-CHAN! NO!"

A sudden overwhelming fear took hold as Akane turned towards the source of the sound—though the fear wasn't for herself. "Mom," she breathed, even as she watched her mother run towards her; her face pale, her blue eyes wide and frightened. Without hesitation, she threw herself towards her small daughter, her hands going around her, as little Akane, terrified, clung desperately, her face buried in the crook of her mother's arm.

Beside them, Akane quietly shook, feeling numb.

Her mother was there, right in front of her, exactly as she remembered. She could smell her perfume, a subtle touch of lilac—could have _touched_ her, though she knew her hand would go straight through. But Akane tried anyway. Lifting a trembling hand, she reached towards her mother, her eyes burning as it passed right through her, like she wasn't even there. But her mother didn't notice.

She tightened her grip on her small daughter before turning her attention to the the monsters advancing inside the closet. "You can't have her," she told them, her voice loud and commanding. With her free hand, she grabbed for the door, intending to slam it shut—but the second her hand touched it, she screamed out in pain as if she'd been burned.

"You can't stop us," one of them told her from within its dark encasement as another one hissed, "She's ours now—the seal was broken."

"She's a _child_," her mother replied angrily, cradling her injured hand to her chest. "She doesn't understand—you have no right to take her!"

"Then give us something _else_," one bid, the sound grating.

Akane watched her mother intently—watched as her expression grew taut, her eyes, resigned. She knew she couldn't stop what was about to happen, but her voice still broke as she opened her mouth anyway, softly begging, "Mom, _please_—don't."

But her mother stared down at her younger-self, a look of determination and regret clear in her bright blue eyes. "Akane-honey. You have to be brave alright?" she told her, using her firm mother-voice and all the authority that went along with it.

Little Akane, with tears in her eyes, looked up, but nodded, trying to be brave; too young to understand the implications of her mother's words. "I'll help," she said, curling her small hand into a fist, even though it trembled. "Just like daddy showed me." Now her mother was crying. She hugged her tighter, before lifting her head to address the creatures beyond.

"Take me instead," she told them, and Akane beside her, sobbed, trying to grab a shadow that she couldn't touch no matter how hard she tried. "Mother, no! Please—I'm sorry."

"A trade is it?" "Lots more meat on that one" "The man—give me the old man!" And then, again, Gabriel. "No—I want the other. Please, give her to me!"

Her mother stood up suddenly, pushing Akane behind her protectively. "You will not touch my daughter," she told them, her voice harsh. "I have offered a fair trade. You MUST honor it!"

At her words, a terrifying sound, like a million tortured screams, erupted from within the closet, and then, suddenly, all the eyes seemed to blink out at once. When it was over, one large pair of emerald green was left alone, staring out from the darkness. "Trade accepted. Erase the symbol and come inside," it ordered.

Now the little girl was pulling on her mother's dress. "Mommy, no! Let me fight. I want to fight!" Even now, her mother was smiling as she turned once more to her daughter.

"Akane-chan, I'm sorry . . . I love your father and you girls very much. You know that right?" Akane, still not completely understanding, nodded—though she didn't loosen her grip on her mother's dress one bit. For now, her mother let her.

Kimiko Tendo moved towards the door, staring hard at the symbol etched across it; then, biting her finger hard enough to draw blood, she began to slowly smear it across its indented tracks, the symbol glowing briefly wherever the blood touched. When she was finished, the entire symbol flickered for a moment, like a candle whose flame was fighting to stay lit—but in the end, that light too, also faded.

Standing before the door, she looked once more at Akane, and smiled sweetly. "I'll always be with you," she assured her. And then, with light, gentle fingers, she carefully removed her daughter's hand from off her dress. With her smile still firmly in place, she stepped inside—the door slamming closed behind her.

Akane, child and teen, watched as the symbol on the door vanished right along with their mother.

T * * * G

For a long time, Akane could do nothing but stare at the door.

She remembered what happened after that—even without the aid of the macabre play to remind her. She'd sobbed and banged on the closet door for what seemed like hours—crying out for her mother, her small fist battered and bruised from her futile battle with the door. Finally, somehow, she managed to get it open. But by then it was empty—just an ordinary broom closet; free of monsters and all the evil contained therein.

_That's_ how her father finally found her . . . sitting inside the closet, crying, her head buried in her lap. She told him all about the monsters; about how they'd taken her mother, and how she'd been unable to fight them. During all of this, her father had remained strangely silent, listening carefully. Then, once she'd finished, he'd wiped away her tears, and explained gently that her mother and grandfather had been dead for a week, that it wasn't her fault, and it was okay for her to be sad. So saying, he started to cry himself, calling out for his beloved wife . . . and the tears never truly stopped.

At the time, Akane hadn't understood why no one believed her—why they kept insisting it was a car accident when she knew very well the demons were to blame. But after awhile, she found it much easier to accept the lie rather than face the truth. Embracing the lie allowed her to sleep, and didn't upset Kasumi, Nabiki, and her father nearly as much.

But now, she had relived it all over again, and she knew the truth.

Their mother was gone, and it was all _her_ fault. . .

Shivering, Akane wrapped her arms tightly around herself, suddenly cold. It was sort of funny how she couldn't cry anymore—as though all her tears had simply dried up. Instead she sat there, staring straight ahead; feeling as much like a shadow as the monsters inhabiting this world.

Faintly, she heard movement behind her, and she turned, uncaring, to see a door—the exit from her nightmare. For the briefest of moments, she was tempted to stay right where she was—to end this stupid game here and now. They were here because of her after all—what right did she have to even participate?

But then she'd remember her mother's brave, smiling face—free of blame or hate—and Kasumi, looking terrified and haunted, her eyes begging for help. She may have been to blame for her mother—but it was the _demons_ who ultimately stole them from her. She couldn't let them win.

Akane wasn't even sure how she made it to the exit. But before she knew it, the door was open and she was stepping outside, though her legs felt like rubber beneath her. Like a true klutz, she almost stumbled and fell. . .

. . .But arms, powerfully strong, caught her and held her up, preventing her from falling flat on her face. Akane, her eyes on the ground, gave a tired sigh, and then looking up, her eyes widened as she noticed _who_ it was that caught her.

"Ran--Ranma. . .?!"

"Hey, tomboy. You okay?"

She blinked hard several times, trying to make sense of what she was seeing. Unlike before with Ukyo's nightmare, he not only looked like Ranma, he _felt_ like him too. But still, Akane found herself hard-pressed to believe it. "Ranma?" she said again, "Is . . . is it _really_ you?"

He grinned for her, his familiar blue eyes shining. "Of course it's me, stupid. Who were you expecting? The panda?"

Akane felt her doubts wash away . . . and suddenly, her eyes didn't feel dry anymore. Latching onto his familiar red shirt, she buried her head in his chest as she began to cry anew; holding nothing back. Ranma held her in his arms, stroking her hair with his hand, comforting her in the best way he knew how.

And behind them, the door to her nightmare finally closed.

***

_End of Chapter 11_

***

**Authors Notes**

Sorry it took so long. Things will become more clear in Chapter 12.

Oh, and I recently revised chapter one, so I apologize for any inconsistencies it may have caused in the chapters that follow . . . but it was TERRIBLY in need of a rewrite.

Also if you haven't already noticed, I regularly update my profile page with news on the status of all my stories, as well as links to fan-art I've had commissioned on deviantart. So be sure to check it out from time to time if you're curious.


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